How to Set the Right Mood With Alcohol

The desired mood of your Thanksgiving meal should determine what type of alcohol you serve: red wine for a sleepy, relaxed atmosphere or spirits for a sexy, confident air. That's the conclusion of a new survey analyzing how different types of alcohol make people feel. The reasons behind the feelings aren't fully understood, but researchers say there are clear trends in the emotions certain alcoholic beverages brought out in 30,000 people, aged 18 to 34, from 21 countries. For example, more than 60% said red wine made them feel sleepy, while 53% said it made them feel relaxed, reports the Guardian. Similarly, nearly 60% of participants said spirits made them feel confident and energetic, while 42% said spirits made them feel sexy.

But almost 50% said spirits made them feel ill, while 30% drew a link with aggression, according to Public Health Wales. Men and heavy drinkers were more prone to report aggression, per the Independent, while women were more likely to report all other emotions, tearfulness among them. Tearfulness was reported by almost 25% of spirit drinkers, 17% of red wine drinkers, and 9% of beer and white wine drinkers, reports the Telegraph. Half of participants also said beer made them feel relaxed, compared to 33% of white wine drinkers, researchers write in BMJ Open. The study didn't consider the mixing of alcohols. It's also unclear if social situation or other factors affected participants' feelings. Still, researchers say drinkers, as well as those who study alcohol abuse, should take the trends into account. (More alcohol stories.)