False. Despite some popular notions, there’s no such thing as ‘hard’ alcohol. While spirits contain more alcohol by volume than most wines, which contain more than most beers, a standard drink of all three contains the same amount of ethanol. A drink is always a drink in terms of its alcohol content.

False. A given volume of beer is more ‘dilute’ than the same volume of spirits or wine. This is why beer is served in larger glasses. When you drink a typical serving of beer, wine, or spirits, you end up consuming the same amount of ethanol.

A: Beer, wine and spirits all contain the same type of alcohol, ethanol, which has the same effect on your body regardless of what you’re drinking. The important thing is how much ethanol you’re drinking and how quickly. All types of alcohol beverages will raise your blood alcohol level, which will initially make you relax but increasingly impair your ability to focus and your coordination as you drink more.