Why does every source say Everclear is dangerous? I’m curious about this. Everywhere I read, people share horrible stories of taking shots of Everclear. I understand it’s strong, but it seems like a shot of Everclear is equivalent to 2ish shots of 40% vodka, with the exception that it’s more concentrated. I get why it burns and all, but I’ve taken double shots, even two doubles quickly together and been drunk for sure, but not horrible. Is it just the potency of it? What if I take a shot and chase it with something basic after? Wouldn’t that essentially just dilute it back to a regular shot? The sources I’ve seen all suggest that a single shot has been a horrible experience, or that it can endanger you. How much of this is just “don’t drink Everclear like you would most drinks”/”don’t use Everclear as a substitute for stronger shots” vs “it’s actually so much worse than just a double shot.”
Everclear is a highly potent and concentrated ethanol-based spirit that is known for its high alcohol content. It is typically sold at 190 proof (95% alcohol by volume) or 151 proof (75.5% alcohol by volume). The main reason why Everclear is considered dangerous and discouraged for casual consumption is due to its high alcohol concentration, which presents several potential risks and health hazards.
When we consume alcohol, it is metabolized by our liver at a specific rate. A standard drink, typically containing an ounce of alcohol, takes about one hour for the average person’s liver to process. However, when we consume a shot of Everclear, the liver is faced with a significantly higher concentration of alcohol, resulting in a rapid influx of ethanol into the bloodstream. This rapid absorption can overwhelm the liver and other organs responsible for metabolizing alcohol, leading to various adverse effects on our body.
One of the most significant risks associated with Everclear is alcohol poisoning. Due to its extremely high alcohol content, a single shot of Everclear can provide a substantial amount of alcohol to our system, potentially pushing blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to dangerous or even fatal levels. Alcohol poisoning can cause severe impairment of motor skills, coordination, and judgment, leading to accidents, injuries, or even alcohol-related coma or death.
Moreover, even if you were to dilute Everclear with another liquid after taking a shot, it is crucial to remember that the damage caused by the initial rapid absorption of alcohol into your system has already taken place. The dilution does not undo the potential harm caused by the high concentration of alcohol initially consumed. Additionally, diluting Everclear may create a false sense of security, leading individuals to drink more than they can handle, putting themselves at an increased risk of alcohol-related problems.
It is also important to consider that Everclear is highly flammable, which poses a significant risk if not handled properly. Its high alcohol content makes it a dangerous source of fuel for accidental fires and should always be stored and used with caution.
While it is true that consuming larger amounts of any alcohol can be harmful, Everclear receives particular attention due to its high alcohol content, which may increase the probability of harmful effects and accidents. Although a double shot of 40% vodka may also result in intoxication, the concentration of alcohol in Everclear is notably higher, potentially intensifying the effects of alcohol on the body.
Additionally, the taste and burning sensation associated with Everclear can serve as a deterrent for excessive consumption for some individuals. The unpleasant sensory experience of consuming Everclear may prevent them from consuming larger quantities, thus reducing the risk of harm. However, taste and sensory experiences alone cannot fully explain the dangers associated with Everclear, as people’s tolerance and reaction to alcohol can vary significantly.
In conclusion, while it may be tempting to compare the effects of Everclear to other alcoholic beverages, it is crucial to understand and respect the potential risks associated with its high alcohol concentration. Everclear’s potency can lead to rapid intoxication, increased risk of alcohol poisoning, impaired judgment, and a higher chance of accidents or injuries. The concentration of alcohol in Everclear makes it particularly dangerous, and consuming it should be approached with caution or avoided altogether. It is important to prioritize responsible drinking habits and to be aware of the potential dangers of consuming highly concentrated spirits like Everclear.
No, If you drink a shot of it without diluting it first, you are trying to hurt yourself. Drinking something after doesn’t dilute it all that well.
That’s like asking, “they use chlorine to sterilize drinking water, right? So if I drink a shot of pure laundry bleach and then chase it with two quarts of water, that’s the same thing, right? ”
Diluted up front is a lot different than trying to dilute it after you’ve already swallowed it.
Ethyl alcohol is a poison. We tolerate it pretty well, but it is poison to us. Drinking it in the purest form you can buy (without chemistry or military purpose) is not a great idea.
It’s a cheap drink if you dilute it a lot in juice, soda, KoolAid, or other stuff. Don’t hurt yourself by trying to drink that stuff straight.
A shot of everclear won’t kill you or anything but it’s Damm rough. It has really no taste except for the burning though so it mixes well in a lot of cocktails where all you need is the burn and nothing else.
Maybe it’s because it’s the only alcohol we drink which is actually highly flammable. Drunk people and fire can be dangerous.
It doesn’t seem all that healthy to be fixated on drinking something everyone is warning is dangerous.
It’s pure alcohol. You can accidentally poison yourself in just a couple shots. Also extremely flammable and plus the alcohol is so strong that it chemical burns your everything in the way through you. Besides that it tastes Like shit. After all that you should be fine though.
Grain alcohol, ethanol, is hydrophilic, meaning that it likes to grab onto water.
As long as there’s plenty of water mixed with it, this isn’t a big problem. However, if you get the alcohol pure enough, it becomes a poison that destroys by dehydration.
Whiskey, vodka, rum, tequila, and similar drinks have enough water in them to prevent the full effect from hitting the cells of the oral mucosa (The skin on the inside of the mouth.) Full maximum strength 190 proof Everclear, however severely dehydrates it.
This causes a powerful and painful burning sensation and will also tend to cause you to choke. Your body will attempt to violently reject it, typically sending it into your nasal passages.
Of course, once it is in your nasal passages, the burning sensation becomes considerably worse.
I definitely do not recommend attempting to drink straight Everclear.
Its about 2.5 shots per shot. It burns like a bitch going down.
Its not more dangerous than slamming 2.5 shots at a time.
A shot of vodka is 40%. That’s 4 parts alcohol to 6 parts water. So 4/10.
Two shots of vodka is 8 parts alcohol to 12 parts of water. So 8/20. Which is still 4/10, or 40%.
So from basic math, two shots of vodka is definitely way safer than a single shot of 80%.
It’s the closest thing to over-the-counter lab ethanol that is readily available almost anywhere.
It hurts to drink. Burns all the way down.
It’s really easy to overdo it. Trashcan punch calls for a handle of everclear, and a batch of it gets the whole block messed up.
An engine can be made to run on everclear.
Everclear is almost pure alcohol. It’ll take no more than a few shots to literally poison yourself. Yes, it’s the potency. Two shots of everclear is the equivalent of roughly 5 entire alcoholic drinks, down instantly. That will fuck up or at least seriousy impair almost anybody and taking more than that is incredibly dangerous. This is coming from a 6’ 190lb dude who nearly went to the hospital because I drank around the equivalent of 5 shots of it in a few minutes. Also another comment mentioned the dangerous side effect of pure, non-diluted alcohol on your body. Mix it. Always. And make sure you know exactly how much you put in that mixed drink.
sounds like a herbicide
This isnt for sale in canada
Mix it with grape juice.
Just try a shot and see for yourself
From personal experience, taking shots of everclear is kinda tolerable, it does burn just like if you took a bite out of way too hot food, but once you swallow it you feel nothing. It also tastes awfully sharp and metallic. But if you dilute it down so it’s 40% ethanol it’s literally vodka, it’s not anything magical, it’ll get you drunk twice as fast as vodka for the same volume and that’s it. So my conclusion is that the only danger is burning your mouth a bit
Drink it find out
It’s only more dangerous in practice. The amount of alcohol per unit consumed goes up while your ability to account for how much you’ve drank and how drunk you are goes down. Meanwhile two shots of everclear is one third the LD50 of alcohol. The drinker is already drunk with impaired judgement. Six shots taken at once is like flipping a coin that you die.
you clearly have never drank everclear
We have a bottle of Everclear at the vet clinic where I work…
A client called, thought their dog drank antifreeze-this was over 20 yrs ago, and there where no emergency vet clinics..my doctor called the vet school and they advised doing an IV of Everclear to flush the kidneys/liver etc…
We never did have to do the IV, must have gotten the dog to vomit up the antifreeze, but I do remember the mad panic, trying to locate Everclear, and trying to figure out how to best hospitalize a 90lb lab.
IIRC, it says right on the bottle that it’s not intended for consumption without mixing it with something.
Alcohol is toxic. If you put too much into your body too quickly you can die.
So, I don’t have a scientific answer, but I can tell you this: I can line up shots of vodka all night long, going through a whole bottle even, without getting sick. I don’t use chasers with shots, if I’m thirsty between them I’ll drink strong beers. I will not take a single shot of ever clear. Even if you mix it in with a drink, I’m probably not going to drink it, but the shot itself, no way. It’s just too damn potent. Pure alcohol is used to disinfect as it is great at killing bacteria and cells. This kills everything in your mouth, your throat, your stomach, and it is absorbed into your blood vessels all the way through. It is a strong poison that can easily kill a human.
The only way to drink it is in a heavily diluted mixed drink.
If you want something strong to fuck you up, I recommend twice as many vodka, whiskey, or tequila shots. You’ll feel much better while drunk and the next morning.
Edit: To your question, there is nothing specific that I know of about grain alcohol that causes this. If you took Vodka or tequila and distilled it down to 190 proof I’m sure it would be just as terrible for you, burning, ripping out the moisture, and killing the cells and bacteria all along the way. The reason nobody distills any other alcohol that high is that it is just painful and damaging to consume. Just because you put mixer in it doesn’t mean it immediately diluted every part of it. Without actually mixing it thoroughly you will still have portions of it that will burn your insides.
Because no college kid ever said… “well I’ve already had 1 shot of everclear which is the equivalent of 2 shots of vodka… let me wait twice as long before taking another.” NO they have another at the same pace they would the vodka… u see where I’m going with this.
There are several levels of being drunk.
1: drunk.
2: Drunk.
3: Black out drunk.
4: Corn Cob Whiskey drunk.
5: I couldn’t care less whether I live or die drunk.
Just so we’re clear everclear is a corncob whiskey which can and will fuck you up hard.
Even moonshiners dilute it.
So if you’re going for a suicidal level of drunk straight everclear will get you there eventually, and if it doesn’t kill you, you’ll wind up wishing it had.
When people say it burns, they don’t mean the normal shot of liquor burns.
They mean an actual chemical burn that can require medical attention.
There are different levels of everclear just like most alcohol, but the highest proof alcohols out there literally cannot be drunk without mixing them or you will cause permanent damage to yourself, and sometimes quite severe. Permanent. And chemical burns inside your body do not feel good at all.
Drinking two shots of 40% does not equate to one shot of 80%.
80% will hit harder because there’s more ethanol concentrated in it. Drinking two 40% is still 40%, just more volume of 40%.
Generally I wouldn’t say it’s dangerous, maybe in America it’s not a thing but in plenty of countries it’s the norm to drink 70-85% alcoholic beverages.
Is it bad for you in big quantities, of course, like anything else that’s over used. Will it kill you or whatever just because you drank 80%+ alcohol in a weekend ? Nope.
It burns the way it does precisely because of how much ethanol is inside and it’s also a poorly made type of alcohol that doesn’t have the complexity other hard liquor comes with to help with the burning.
Cause people use it like assholes. They drink it as if it were half as strong and than get wasted drunk and it can be dangerous. The alcohol itself isn’t anymore dangerous. That it can get people twice as drunk fri. The same amount is dangerous. Most young people have a story of that one time they drank everclear and got wasted and don’t remember the night.
People have a hard time understanding that 1 shot of everclear is like 2 shots of vodka so it’s really easy to get too drunk or alcohol poisoning especially given that reasoning skills diminish as you drink
Because it makes you want to swim out past the breakers to watch the world die.
If you’re asking why is it seen as more fatal than other alcohols it takes far less ever clear to drink to get drunk and overdose. Back in the 90s it became popular for high schoolers/college kids and a couple of young people died causing a panic of sorts.
If you’re asking why doesn’t 80 percent shot add up to two 40 percent shots I’d say I don’t know but I’d guess when the alcohol is diluted it isn’t simply mixed with water to dilute it and kill its potency. Looking here it seems the math it takes a little bit more water to knock the percent down https://help.stillspirits.com/hc/en-us/articles/360005382877-How-to-dilute-from-90-ABV-to-40-ABV
Because, as my friend found out the hard way: it’s not just simply a matter of the high alcohol content and alcohol poisoning. At that high a level of alcohol (similar to E85 fuel), it literally can cause chemical burns to your stomach and esophagus.
You’ll black out and try to fight your best friend at his parent’s house
From experience, drinking shots of everclear is weird. I’m a large man with a high alcohol tolerance. The only time I’ve done an everclear shot, one minute I was completely sober, the next I’m waking up in the morning. The night disappeared and I have no idea how.
It shouldn’t have been that effective, at least when looking at the numbers, but it was. I’m never doing that again. It’s a waste.
The alcohol
It is in Mexico there’s a liquor basically everclear that blinds the drunks on the street. Tonaya it’s called
Ever clear is great in jungle juice.
I’ve only drank a full straight shot one time. I was out with buddies drinking shots and whatnot. My boy apparently got the next round of shots. Told me it was vodka. It wasn’t lol. He ordered a vodka for him and an everclear for me.
I took the shot expecting vodka and SHEER FUCKING PANIC set in. I literally thought for a second i accidentally drank jet fuel or gasoline. Then after a few seconds I thought there was no way a bar would serve jet fuel in shot form lol. I’m surprised i got it down and my buddy and the bartender thought it was fucking hilarious though. I’m going to pull the same shit on that fucker one day…
You guys read too many magazines.
I’ve been drinking 100 proof vodka for decades. Two to three handles a week.
Bi- annual doctor visits with normal liver function every time.
Everclear reminds me of nail polish remover, I’ve drank it straight and chased it. I’ve also taken straight shots of 99% grain alcohol that was brought back from Mexico, chased that with good ol OJ, couple shots in we thought it would be a good idea to spit fireballs out the back porch. So yea id say it’s dangerous lol
It’s because it’s pure ethanol. If you took a shot of everclear it would be the equivalent to like 2.5-3 normal drinks. It’s dangerous and things can get out of control quickly