Glass shape influences alcohol consumption

Article overview:

• Research shows that curved glasses increase alcohol consumption
• The curvature of the glass affects the perception of the amount of alcohol consumed
• Health Benefits of Drinking in Moderation

How curved glasses increase alcohol consumption

When enjoying a glass of wine or a mixed drink, you probably don't pay any attention to the glass in which you are drinking your alcoholic beverage. But maybe you should notice. Recent research has shown that the shape of the glass we drink our alcohol from has a major impact on the speed at which we drink

Scientists from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom conducted an experiment on 160 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 40 who were defined as social drinkers. Neither one had a history of alcoholism. In the first part of the experiment, participants were given either a lager or a soft drink. Some were in curved, flute-shaped glasses, others in straight glassware. The group given lager found that those who drank from a curved glass consumed their drinks almost twice as quickly as their counterparts who drank from a straight glass.

Interestingly, the subjects who drank soft drinks showed no difference in the speed of their consumption, regardless of whether they drank from a straight or a curved glass. This led the researchers to suspect that there was a deliberate pace among alcohol drinkers. Those who use straight-edged glasses can move around comfortably and easily judge how long it took to get to half the point and therefore their rate of consumption. Those who used curved glasses, on the other hand, appeared to experience impairment of this perception (regardless of the alcohol itself, of course) due to the shape of the glass. It hampered their ability to judge how much they had consumed.

Curved wine glasses make it difficult to perceive the amount consumed

For the second part of the experiment, the same group of participants performed a similar type of assessment task, but this time on the computer. Each volunteer was shown different images of the two types of glasses containing different amounts of fluid. They were then asked if each glass was more or less than half full. As a result, the test subjects had a much more difficult time measuring the liquid level in the curved glasses than in the straight ones. So it was clear that alcohol consumption did not affect their judgment in the first experiment.

And the more they were able to judge half the level, the bigger the overall problem. The participants who made the biggest mistakes in measuring the center point of the glasses also had the biggest increases in the speed at which they drank. The bottom line was that the least likely to see how much alcohol had been consumed were the quickest drinkers when using the curved glasses.

This finding is important because the faster a person drinks their alcohol, the faster it will affect them. In addition, it is not surprising that faster drinkers tend to drink more alcoholic beverages because they run out faster and thus have more time to drink.2 This can lead to excess alcohol or even potentially fatal alcohol intoxication. Those who offer alcohol, be it at home among friends or for guests in bars and restaurants, should take note. For example, laws in much of the United States hold the provider responsible if an injury or an accident occurs as a result of drunkenness

Drink in moderation

When you're not at home as a consumer, it can't hurt to check the glass your drink arrives in. As usual, when it is straight, keep an eye on your pace. If it is curved, you may need to put in extra effort if you are a moderate to heavy drinker. The judges are not yet sure whether alcohol is beneficial or harmful to us for research studies (and both are most likely true to some extent). But as with anything in life, moderation is definitely the way to go when you are drinking alcohol. Have a glass and enjoy it, then call it finished. And if you have trouble walking up and down while drinking, feel free to request a straight sided glass … and of course a designated driver.

1 “The shape of the glass affects how fast we drink alcohol.” ScienceDaily. August 31, 2012. Accessed September 5, 2012. .

2 "Alcohol poisoning and overdose." Virginia Tech. 2006. Accessed September 6, 2012. .

3 "Social Host Alcohol Liability". Lawyers.com. 2012. Accessed September 6, 2012. .