The Boozy Beverages That Are Secretly Causing You Gas Issues

You may not have felt it a few margaritas in, but that bloat hours later — or even the next day — wasn't from Jack-In-The-Box's terrible tacos. It was more than likely the alcohol. You don't have to have existing digestion issues to experience indigestion, gas, and bloating as a side effect from sipping certain drinks.

The drinks that bring the biggest gut ruckus are ones with a high alcohol by volume (ABV), as they can be the most irritating and therefore most gas-producing. In the U.S., a standard drink is typically defined as 1.5 ounces of 40% liquor, 5 ounces of 12% wine, or 12 ounces of 5% beer. Speaking of beer, if you're someone whose digestive system is sensitive to gluten, you may want to avoid beer since it's made by fermenting gluten-containing grains, like barley and wheat. 

It's not just the liquor itself that causes digestive distress — it's also what's mixed with in. Drinks made with a ton of sugar are a recipe for gas. It doesn't matter whether it's in the liquor, like rum or dessert wines, or added into cocktails like piña coladas, margaritas, and Long Island iced teas, it's all a recipe for gas. These drinks contain fermentable sugars from certain fruits, honey, agave, or plain ol' sugar, which feed gut bacteria in the digestive tract and lead to gas. Those with easily upsettable digestive systems or who are sensitive to FODMAPs (fermentable, olygosacharides, disaccharides, and polyols) should be especially mindful of the sugar in alcohol. 

However, low-sugar, low-alcohol drinks can still cause bloating when carbonation is thrown into the mix. Beer, carbonated mixers, and sparkling wine introduce carbon dioxide into the digestive tract, which can lead to increased gas and the notorious bloating that it brings.

While some alcoholic beverages are worse offenders than others, they all share a few gut-disrupting traits. For one, alcohol can irritate the digestive tract and slow gastric emptying, which may leave food sitting there longer, causing it to ferment and produce gas. It also relaxes the muscle between the stomach and esophagus, making acid reflux more likely. And since alcohol has a diuretic effect, dehydration will likely worsen the overall discomfort.

To keep happy hour happy, hydrate. Drinking water before during and after consuming alcohol is often recommended by health experts or hydrate with electrolyte-rich beverages like coconut water. Although food in the digestive tract can ferment from drinking alcohol, this doesn't mean that drinking on an empty stomach will save the pain and bloating. Instead, do get something in your system prior to drinking but ideally not gas-producing foods (like a large plate of roasted Brussels sprouts or beans immediately followed with champagne or beer). 

While not there's no guarantee that your beverage will be gas-proof, you can lessen the likelihood of a buzzkill by opting for drinks made with clear liquor, like gin and vodka (it is possible to drink vodka straight and actually enjoy it) as they're lower in FODMAPs, dry wines, light beers, and non-carbonated mixed drinks on the rocks and with minimal added sweeteners. Or, there's always non-alcoholic spirits and mocktails.