Different alcohol strengths and the effects

[ruthandsam]

Can someone explain the physics behind this please: 6+ shots of Gin or Vodka at 40% vol = sober... half a bottle of Red Wine at 13% vol = drunk....? Or even 2 cans of lager at 6% = drunk. I can't get my head around the reason why?

[johnk]

The alcohol from different drinks enters your blood at different rates and so some drinks make you drunkerby getting into your blood quicker. The longer it takes the more alcohol you can get rid of before you get drunk. Highly carnbonated drinks like lager gets the alcohol in really quickly.
John

[rcl1]

The %age relates to the alcohol volume of the liquid so if you had 6 shots (of 25ml) of wine, you would also still be sober. 1 bottle of wine at 13% = drunk, 1 bottle of vodka at 40% = possible hospitalisation, or very very drunk in the least.

[realaleman]

You can work out the units of alcohol quite easily.(but only before you drink the wine) The formula is litres x abv. For example: 330ml can of 6%abv lager is 0.33*6 =1.98 units. 25ml of spirit at 40%abv is 0.025*40 = 1 unit. Half a bottle of wine at 13%abv is 0.35*13 = 4.55.
My doctor needs to know how many units I drink so I sit in the pub tring to calculate 0.568*4.5 in my head and give up aftr a couple of pints and work it out on a spreadsheet when I get home.