Why Loud Music Makes Us Drink More

Make sure you have a designated driver the next time you head to a rock concert: Booze tastes sweeter when it's drunk in an environment where loud music is playing, which means blaring tunes could lead to excessive alcohol consumption, finds a new study. "Since humans have an innate preference for sweetness, these findings offer a plausible explanation as to why people consume more alcohol in noisy environments," says the study's author.

In his study, 80 participants were subjected to one of four levels of distraction—from zero disturbances to boisterous music playing while simultaneously reading a news article—while tasting a number of drinks, reports the Press Association. They then rated those beverages' alcohol strength, sweetness, and bitterness; those consumed while people were just listening to loud music rated significantly sweeter. These results, says the study's author, "has implications for bars, the drinks industry, and local authorities." (More alcohol stories.)