Is It True That Beer Before Liquor Makes You Sicker?

The old saying "Beer before liquor makes you sicker" is not true. Though mixing alcohol like that is a little harder on your stomach, it won't make you more drunk or worsen your hangover. Alcohol is alcohol, and the amount you drink is what makes you sick, not the type or the mixture.

More on alcohol myths:

• Though beer before liquor does not make you sicker, beer does slightly irritate the lining of the stomach, which could marginally increase your body's rate of alcohol absorption, making you feel drunk quicker.


• The "beer before liquor" myth is very widespread, though — in fact, in Nebraska, up until 2010, it was illegal to order or serve any drink that mixed beer and other alcohol, though drinks that mixed other types of alcohol were legal.


• Taking aspirin will not prevent a hangover. It actually slows the rate at which your body metabolizes alcohol, so it just delays the inevitable.