To create alcohol from scratch, you must first place fruits, grains or other vegetables through a procedure called fermentation (by bacteria or yeast – the by-products resulting are carbon dioxide and ethanol). The kind of alcohol in the alcohol drink is a simple chemical known as ethanol. Many kinds of alcohols exist, such as vodka, whiskey, gin, brandy, gin, rum, gin, tequila, liqueur, rum and vermouth. Many alcoholic beverages can also contain vitamins, herbs and other additives, which give alcoholic beverages their distinctive flavor and aroma. These additives can be beneficial to drink and enhance the taste of the drink, but they can also have negative consequences when consumed in excessive quantities.
For example, one standard drink contains about one-eighth of a percent of ethanol, a simple sugar solution. This one standard drink contains no calories, no fat and no alcohol. So why does it have any calories? The calories are a result of the simple sugar’s digestion and metabolism in our bodies, rather than as an active ingredient. Alcohol, which is a complex sugar molecule, takes about thirty-six molecules of oxygen per molecule to stay active in our bodies. Therefore, one standard drink contains about thirty-six calories per serving.
Another common standard drink, beer, contains between one and two percent alcohol. There are three different kinds of beer: light beer, medium beer and heavy beer. Light beer has the least amount of alcohol. About one to five percent of the alcohol content in a standard drink is from alcohol that has been added during the brewing process.
The type of alcoholic drink you prefer is determined by personal preference, but there are some commonalities between most kinds of drinks. The three basic categories of alcoholic drinks are based on the time they were consumed, and by how much is drunk. For example, a shot of liquor was traditionally served at a bar; today, however, most of us choose to drink it in a glass. The longer the time since the last drink, and the more you drink, the more your body metabolizes and the more your blood alcohol content will increase.
The most popular kinds of drink are those that are produced with a combination of grapes, brandy, rum or wine. When mixed with brandy or wine, the alcohol content can be substantially increased. There is an old saying that states, “you can have too much of a good thing.” If you overindulge with your drink, the more your liver will work to remove the alcohol, making you feel hungrier and more sluggish.
We typically consume between one to two standard drinks per day, depending on our preferences. Most people enjoy drinking a standard drink of water between meals. If you would like more alcoholic beverages to enjoy with dinner, then feel free to try more hard liquor, scotch, brandy or wine between dinner time and another meal. If you have no problem with consuming any of these alcoholic beverages after dinner, you may even enjoy having a few glasses of wine with dinner. With wine, the alcohol content is diluted to reduce the overall alcohol content, but the taste remains the same.