Are Dark Liquors Worse for You Than Clear Liquors?

Are Dark Liquors Worse for You Than Clear Liquors?

Are Dark Liquors Worse for You Than Clear Liquors?
Ilija Perkovic/iStock; Aleksey Selyanin/iStock

You may have heard that drinking dark liquors, such as whiskey and brandy, can give you worse hangovers than clear liquors, like vodka and gin.

Here, we explore the dark side of dusky-hued alcohol to discover if ordering a vodka martini is better for you than a scotch on the rocks. Plus, find out which will leave you feeling worse the next morning.

Which Liquors Are Considered Clear Versus Dark?

Some clear liquors are:

  • Vodka
  • Gin
  • Silver tequila
  • Light or silver rum

Some dark liquors are:

  • Brandy
  • Whiskey (including bourbon and scotch)
  • Cognac
  • Gold tequila
  • Dark or gold rum

How Does Dark Liquor Get Its Color?

All hard alcohol starts out clear. But dark varieties are aged in wooden barrels. Over time, the wood color leaches into the beverage and tints it.

The majority of dark alcohol also contains artificial caramel coloring to give it a richer hue. Liquor can contain a max of 2.5 percent food coloring, according to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

What Are Congeners?

Congeners are toxic by-products created during the fermentation process.

“The longer liquor is aged, the more congeners are created,” says Lauren Popeck, RD, of Orlando Health.

Because dark booze has spent more time fermenting, it typically contains a greater number of congeners than do pale spirits. (The exception is tequila, which has high levels of congeners even when it’s clear in color, according to Orlando Health.)

And by the way, this rule of thumb holds true for any kind of alcoholic beverage — not just hard liquor. Red wine and dark beer typically have more congeners than white wine and light beer.

According to Orlando Health, a glass of whiskey may contain the following types of congeners:

  • Methanol: Breaks down into formaldehyde and formic acid.
  • Furfuryl: Stops yeast from metabolizing.
  • Fusel oil: Produced during the distillation process for alcoholic spirits.

“Because congeners are toxic, our bodies don’t tolerate them well,” Popeck says. “Drinking alcohol with high congener levels can lead to side effects including headache, nausea, and dizziness.”

Does Dark Liquor Contain More Antioxidants?

If you want to get more antioxidants, sipping booze is not the answer. In fact, drinking alcohol has the opposite effect: It contributes to oxidative stress, which in turn can cause cellular damage, according to a research review.

That said, dark liquor does have a greater quantity of antioxidants than its light-colored counterpart. One study found that dark alcohol — including brandy, whiskey, and cognac — contained antioxidants while vodka did not. (The study did not look at rum, tequila, or gin.)

This might be a result of antioxidants leaching into the liquor from the wood barrels it’s aged in, according to another study. Still, the antioxidant count is minimal: A serving of brandy has between 15 to 48 milligrams (mg) of antioxidants.

“The harm caused by drinking outweighs the benefit of ingesting any antioxidants the alcohol may contain,” Popeck says.

Does Dark Liquor Have More Allergens?

You’re probably more likely to have an allergic reaction to brown liquors than to clear ones. “Clear liquors are more filtered, which might help reduce allergenic substances,” Popeck says. “In addition, some people might be sensitive to the food coloring in dark alcohol.”

Symptoms of alcohol allergies include nausea or cramping, a rash, itching, and swelling after drinking, according to Cleveland Clinic. Keeping a food diary listing what you drink and how you feel afterward can help you piece together whether or not you have a sensitivity.

Drinks made with premium liquors also tend to be more distilled than a bar's "default" (and usually cheaper) liquors. As a result, they may contain fewer allergens and congeners.

What Contributes to a Hangover?

Congeners can play a role in hangover symptoms. But the main determinant of whether or not you’ll feel bad the morning after you drink alcohol is how much you imbibe.

The more you knock back, the greater your chances of getting a hangover. Drinking can lead to mild dehydration, poor sleep, irritation of your stomach lining, inflammation, and minor withdrawal, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

“If you drink on an empty stomach, alcohol reaches your bloodstream quicker than if you have it with food, which can make you more hungover,” Popeck says.

The rate at which you drink also matters. Sipping more slowly (e.g. one drink per hour, max) and having a glass of water after every cocktail can help prevent a hangover.

So, Is Drinking Dark Liquor Really That Bad for You?

“In my opinion, as long as you drink in moderation, it is not that bad,” Popeck says. “One glass of dark alcohol will not have a major effect, as long as you have it along with food and stay hydrated by drinking water.”

But drinking more than the daily recommended limit of booze — no more than two drinks a day for men and one drink for women — is detrimental to your health, no matter what color your beverage is.

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
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Kayli Anderson, RDN

Medical Reviewer

Kayli Anderson has over a decade of experience in nutrition, culinary education, and lifestyle medicine. She believes that eating well should be simple, pleasurable, and sustainable. Anderson has worked with clients from all walks of life, but she currently specializes in nutrition therapy and lifestyle medicine for women. She’s the founder of PlantBasedMavens.com, a hub for women to get evidence-based, practical, and woman-centered guidance on nutrition and cooking, hormone health, fertility, pregnancy, movement, mental well-being, nontoxic living, and more.

Anderson is board-certified in lifestyle medicine and serves as lead faculty of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s (ACLM) "Food as Medicine" course. She is past chair of the ACLM's registered dietitian member interest group, secretary of the women's health member interest group, and nutrition faculty for many of ACLM's other course offerings. She is the coauthor of the Plant-Based Nutrition Quick Start Guide and works with many of the leading organizations in nutrition and lifestyle medicine to develop nutrition content, recipes, and educational programs.

Anderson frequently speaks on the topics of women’s health and plant-based nutrition and has coauthored two lifestyle medicine textbooks, including the first one on women’s health, Improving Women's Health Across the Lifespan.

She received a master's degree in nutrition and physical performance and is certified as an exercise physiologist and intuitive eating counselor. She's a student of herbal medicine and women's integrative and functional medicine. She lives with her husband in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, where you’ll find her out on a trail or in her garden.

Molly Triffin

Author

Molly Triffin is a freelance writer and editor based in Stowe, Vermont. Her work has appeared in SELF, Women's Health, The Food Network Magazine, and more. She is the former features director of Cosmopolitan and current editor-in-chief of Spruce Life, a Vermont-based lifestyle magazine.