Your mood for Cinco de Mayo depends on, well, your mood. Tequila has a party-starting reputation, but it turns out there’s no secret ingredient in the alcohol that makes you feel rowdy. According to Dr. Susan Mosher Ruiz, a researcher at the Laboratory of Neuropsychology at the Boston University School of Medicine, it’s more about the environment in which you’re consuming the drink. All alcoholic beverages contain the same intoxicating ingredient: ethanol. Whether it’s beer, wine or liquor, the alcohol is molecularly identical and affects your brain the same way. Ethanol is a central nervous system depressant, meaning it has calming and sleep-inducing effects.In our culture, tequila has made a name for itself in the spring break, frat party scenes (both associated heavily with binge drinking). Thanks to these typically tequila-drenched settings, the drink has earned a reputation for making any night a bit more wild. Plus, tequila is generally consumed via shots — and whenever shots are involved, it’s bound to be a crazy night. If you’re mixing it, it’s probably with a super sugary juice or mix, spiking your glucose levels and further altering your mood. No matter what your drink of choice, be sure to drink safely.
READ MORE: Ask a Scientist: Why Does Tequila Make Me Crazy?
