You can mix Vodka and Rum without experiencing any adverse effects. Several drinks are made using Vodka and Rum, such as the Caribbean Painkiller cocktail and Absolute Stress. Although these liquors can be used together, watching how much you consume is essential.
This article will take you through some of the most common misconceptions about mixing Vodka and Rum. I’ll be talking about what causes adverse effects when using both liquors and external factors that might play a role in the unwanted effects one might experience. I’ll also discuss what causes a person to get sick from drinking Vodka and Rum, along with some preventative measures.
Having Too Much Vodka and Rum Can Cause Adverse Effects
You will find plenty of data on the internet claiming that mixing Vodka and Rum, or in fact, mixing any two types of liquors, will make you sick. That is not the case. Although, the statement does have some truth to it since mixing and over-consuming two very potent liquors will definitely make you sick.
Truth be told, over-consuming, even a single type of liquor, will result in you throwing up and having a nasty hangover in the morning. Therefore, it is vital to watch the amount of booze you consume. Since Vodka has a different recipe than Rum, when you mix both, it becomes harder to determine how much you’ve had, and that’s where the misconception lies.
Most of the side-effects experienced can be traced back to having too much without knowing. When you’re at a cocktail party, and you’ve had a drink consisting of Vodka and Rum, or a mixture of any two liquors, consider that drink equivalent to two. This will help you gauge your tolerance level better.
Your Diet and Routine Determine How Your Body Handles Liquor
The human body is a complex piece of biological machinery. Many factors come into play when you’re consuming alcohol. Most of these factors revolve around food quality, the amount of liquids consumed, physical activity, and sleep.
- What you had to eat: the amount of carbohydrates, protein, and micro-nutrients consumed.
- The amount of liquids consumed: the amount of water consumed throughout the day determines the hydration level.
- The amount of physical activity in a day.
- Sleep: the amount of sleep you’ve had the previous night
All of the above play a vital role in how your body handles the alcohol you consume. Some days you might notice that a single drink gets you out of it, whereas the exact amount and combination don’t affect you on other days. This happens because when your body is appropriately nourished, it is better equipped to handle alcoholic drinks.
Vodka and Rum Have Different Compositions
Vodka and Rum go through different processes before evolving to their final states. They also feature different ingredients, which is why they taste worlds apart. Rum is more flavourful due to the ingredients used in producing it, whereas Vodka is blander.
Vodka
This drink is prepared from wheat or potatoes, which is why it almost has no taste. Vodka is always clear unless it is fused with fruits and herbs to give it a bit of flavor. It goes through the fermentation process before distillation and does not require aging. Lastly, vodka has an alcohol content of at least 37.5%.
Related The 10 Best Mixers for Grey Goose Vodka.
Rum
On the other hand, rum is made from sugarcane and molasses, giving it its unique sweetness and taste along with the aroma. It goes through fermentation and distillation, after which it is aged and holds a minimum alcohol content of 35.5%.
Although both liquors are made differently and from different ingredients, mixing them for cocktails is absolutely fine. Since the main ingredient is alcohol, it doesn’t matter whether you consume them together or individually; what matters is how much you drink. If you want to learn more on the topic, head over to this article.
What Causes a Person To Get Sick From Vodka and Rum
Several factors contribute to a person getting sick or experiencing adverse effects after drinking too much alcohol or, in this case, Vodka and Rum. We’re not going to discuss all of these factors here. We will, however, discuss what happens to a person’s body when they drink excessively.
A person gets sick from excessive intake of Vodka and Rum because the body produces more urine by inhibiting the production of vasopressin. Excess alcohol intake also disturbs the stomach lining and causes the blood sugar to drop to dangerous levels. Additionally, it disrupts a person’s sleep cycle.
- Excess production of urine: when you drink too much alcohol, it causes your body to produce more urine, which in turn leads to dehydration. A dehydrated person experiences lightheadedness and dizziness.
- Immune system issues: alcohol may trigger specific protocols within your immune system that take precautionary measures to fight the toxin. These preventative measures include releasing particular agents that may affect a person’s ability to concentrate, cause memory problems, and affect the appetite.
- Stomach lining disturbance: alcohol affects the lining of your stomach by increasing the production of stomach acid. This causes a person to experience abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.
- Drop in blood sugar: although a small amount of alcohol will raise blood sugar, Rum and Vodka will have the exact opposite effect if consumed in large quantities. The excessive alcohol content in your system will increase insulin secretion, which, in turn, will cause your blood sugar to drop. This may result in fatigue, weakness, shakiness, and seizures.
- Expanded blood vessels: dehydration from alcohol causes the blood vessels in your body and brain to expand, which results in headaches
- Disrupted sleep: although you can sleep after drinking alcohol, you cannot experience REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. This disrupts your sleep cycle and prevents you from fully indulging in it.
Not knowing how much you’ve had to drink can cause you to get sick in the above mentioned scenarios. Luckily, there are some ways to prevent these issues, and I will discuss these next.
How To Prevent Adverse Effects of Consuming Vodka and Rum
You can take preventive measures to counter the effects of consuming Vodka mixed with Rum. As I’ve already mentioned, the best option is to avoid drinking excessively and limit yourself to one or two drinks a day. However, we all know that sometimes, when you’re with a group of close friends, that’s not always possible.
You can prevent the adverse effects of mixing Vodka and Rum by ensuring you drink plenty of water between drinks. It also helps to eat a healthy meal at least an hour before starting to drink and choosing liquors with fewer congeners.
- Have water in between drinks: through personal experience, I have noticed that it helps if you have a full glass of water after every two drinks. This helps with hydration and also prevents hangovers the following day.
- Have a healthy meal: make sure you have a good meal at least an hour before you start to drink. It gives your body the necessary energy to handle the liquor as you embark upon your drinking escapade. It also helps if you opt for a steady intake of snacks as you drink.
- Choose liquors with fewer congeners: congeners are ingredients in alcoholic drinks used for flavor. They are widely found in dark liquors and contribute to you having a hangover the following day. Remember that drinking clear liquors will not eliminate the risk of a hangover and that congeners only contribute to the issue and are not the cause of hangovers.
- Have a plan: if you’re going to a party where you think you’ll be drinking. Have a goal in mind as to how many drinks you want to have. Drinking in moderation helps prevent any unpleasant situations and helps wake you up the following day with a clear head.
- One drink an hour: this right here is the golden rule of drinking. Limit yourself to one drink an hour which will give your system ample time to recover from the last alcoholic drink and also give you a chance to gauge your limit.
- Avoid drinking the following day: Usually, when you have a hangover in the morning, your body requires food and water to conjure up the energy to deal with the toxins. Therefore, you’ll want to prevent making the situation worse by having one (or a few) drinks right after experiencing a hangover. Give your body time to recover and heal.
Conclusion
Mixing Vodka with Rum (or any other two liquors) is not what makes a person sick. What makes you sick is the fact that you cannot measure the amount of booze you’ve had when spirits are mixed in one drink. Therefore, follow the guidelines above to avoid any unpleasant effects when out drinking.
It’s always best to avoid drinking to prevent unwanted after effects. Still, if you have to, you’ll find plenty of good information in this article to deal with the impact of the following day. With that, I bid you farewell and plead that you drink responsibly.
For more, don’t miss The 16 Best Substitutes for Rum in a Recipe or Mixer.
Anne James has a wealth of experience in a wide array of interests and is an expert in quilting, cooking, gardening, camping, mixing drinks (worked as a professional bartender), and making jelly.
Anne has a professional canning business, has been featured in the local newspaper as well as on the Hershey website, and has been her family canner for decades. Anyone growing up in the South knows that there is always a person in the family who has knowledge of the “old ways,” and this is exactly what Anne is.
With over 55 years of experience in these endeavors, she brings a level of hands-on knowledge that is hard to surpass. Amazingly, she doesn’t need to reference many resources due to her vast wealth of experience. She IS the source.
Anne wants nothing more than to pass on her extensive knowledge to the next generations, whether that be family or anyone visiting her website, her YouTube channel, or preservingsweetness.com.