Although science has proven it false that different types of alcohol actually affect you in different ways, we all have the stories and nights to show that we do indeed feel different effects– even if it just is our mind playing tricks on us. Drinking certain types of alcohol can greatly change the course of a person’s night, altering behaviors from one extreme to another.

Beer

I’m sure you’ve all heard the popular-coined term, “Beer before liquor, never been sicker.” And I know from my mornings of nausea and hangovers that this holds to be true. The upside of beer drunk is that it generally makes me a more fun, sociable person and I find myself to be more talkative.

Unfortunately, beer seems to have the ability to turn my fun buzz into a sleepy stupor and by the end of the night, I find myself wanting to fall asleep standing up. One time I literally went to bed at my date’s house before the party even started because I had too much beer that night. Also, beer leads to some major bloating and leaves me feeling too full, which results in my friends listening to me complain for hours.

Tequila

“Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off” by Joe Nichols is the perfect phrase to describe my tequila night. When I drink margaritas, I start to feel like the best dancer in the room— and I couldn’t care less about how insane I might actually look. Tequila has the tendency to make a person feel a little promiscuous and frisky, hence the clothes coming off. Being in this type of mood can be fun, but can also have dire consequences. You might be left with questions such as whose bed did I just wake up in and where are all my clothes? Feeling crazy for the night is (almost) always a blast, and tequila continues to prove over and over that it’s the perfect drink for the occasion.

Vodka

“It’s going down like water” is a common saying amongst those who have had one too many drinks of vodka, and it’s a sure sign of a wacky night ahead. Vodka has the tendency to give me liquid courage, leaving me feeling more bold than ever before. When I’m drinking vodka and see my crush out, I will absolutely approach them and tell them exactly how attractive I find them to be. It has worked out in my favor none of the times, unfortunately.

Vodka can turn a person into a rather sloppy mess if too much is consumed and this is why I also like to refer to vodka as my “dance-on-elevated-surfaces” drink. When you see those out of control girls dancing on tables at parties, it’s safe to assume vodka may have been their poison that night. It is also likely that those girls are me and my friends.

Everyone has different reactions to different types of alcohol, which can either be extremely fun or extremely scary to find out. My advice is to keep exploring, and learn exactly the right drink for you.

Emma Vidak-Benjamin can be reached at [email protected] or @gnarlyemma on Twitter.