How Much Champagne to Get Drunk: Full Guide (2023)
Last Updated on November 5, 2023 by Lydia Martin
No party is complete without a bottle of champagne popping here and there.
But before the celebration starts, make sure you’re aware of how much champagne to get drunk if you don’t want to experience hangover symptoms the next day.
If you don’t want to get drunk faster and miss beautiful moments, read on and learn how many shots you can take to avoid getting intoxicated.
How Much Champagne Can Get Drunk?
On a standard note, one four-ounce glass of champagne can make you reach the blood alcohol content of 0.08%, which is considered in the US as “legally drunk.”
If you want to get intoxicated, drinking champagne must be done between the one- to two-hour period.
That’s when your liver starts to process the alcohol within your bloodstream.
Other factors to consider are weight, gender, alcohol tolerance, and if you’re drinking on an empty stomach.
Can A Glass Of Champagne Get You Drunk?
A glass of champagne can’t get you drunk easily. A typical bottle of champagne usually has an alcohol content of 22- to 26- proof (or 11% 13% ABV).
“Champagne is one of the elegant extras in life.”
– Charles Dickens, Writer/Social Critic
This means one shot (or 1.5 fluid ounces) of champagne won’t get you drunk.
How Many Glasses Of Champagne Will Get You Drunk?
Technically, for someone under 113 kg (250 lbs), it would be two rounds of champagne.
However, if you’re between 45 to 54 kg (100 to 200 lbs), you can feel drunk after one and a half glasses.
How many glasses of champagne will get you drunk depends on some factors, but generally, it can take two servings of champagne to get an individual drunk.
But this doesn’t apply to every drinker, especially people with high alcohol tolerance.
One serving of champagne has an alcohol content of around 12.2% ABV, close to red wine (about 12.5% ABV) and sparkling white wine (about 11.5% ABV).
Moreover, one serving is equal to 1.4 standard drinks, around 150ml, and 750ml (23.36 fluid ounces) is roughly 7.1 standard drinks.
How Long Does It Take For Champagne To Kick In?
On average, it will take around 5 to 15 minutes for champagne to kick in.
Generally, alcohol travels immediately in the bloodstream as soon as it enters your body.
Then, the liver functions to break down the alcohol, forming an enzyme referred to as “alcohol dehydrogenase.”
This enzyme will turn into acetaldehyde, which will break down into acetic acid – the one responsible for giving the hangover.
If you consume more alcohol than your liver can process, that’s when champagne starts to kick in, as well as other alcoholic beverages.
Why Does It Make You Get Drunk Easily?
Champagne can make you drunk quickly because of the bubbles present in the spirit.
While champagne and sparkling wine have lower alcohol content, their fizz plays a role in making you drunk.
Most American sparkling wines and champagne are crafted with “methode champenoise,” a strict rule in the production process developed in France.
It creates bubbles while the spirits are under secondary fermentation.
Bubbles help champagne to be absorbed by the bloodstream quicker than other drinks, making your alcohol concentration high and making you feel sleepy and drunk.
Does It Go Straight To Your Head?
According to studies, champagne goes straight to the head as carbon dioxide helps speed up alcohol travels to your intestines.
How much food you eat before drinking can affect this process. But if you consume it without eating first, expect the alcohol to travel faster straight to your head.
What Does “Champagne Drunk” Feel Like?
Champagne, especially the sweetest champagne, can make you feel happier when drunk due to its brut nature, compared to other spirits that turn into depressants.
Champagne boosts your brain’s happy molecule, making you feel happier and more positive.
After one to two glasses, you’ll be less aggressive, and you’ll be more sociable.
Fun Fact: Champagne has high phenolic levels, derived from the Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir, where the spirit is made – contributing to its positive effects on the brain [1].
Will It Give You A Hangover?
Yes, champagne can give you a hangover [2].
Consuming too much champagne or sparkling wines can get you drunk hard, leading to a hangover the next day.
But you can use hangover remedies to feel better, like drinking water, a cup of hot ginger tea, and taking effervescent tablets. Check out our recommended non-alcoholic sparkling wines here.
FAQs
Does champagne get you drunker than wine?
Yes, champagne can get you drunker than regular wine. Since champagne is more bubbly than wine, it helps alcohol to enter your bloodstream more quickly.
Is champagne a feminine drink?
Champagne is believed to be a feminine beverage due to its bubbly and light appearance. But it doesn’t mean it’s really a girly beverage. It’s for everyone.
Is champagne stronger than beer?
Champagne can be stronger than beer because drinking a 4oz glass of champagne is the same as drinking one beer or a liquor shot.
In Summary
Two to four standard servings of champagne (even sparkling wine) can get you drunk.
But it still depends on some factors– weight, gender, alcohol consumption, and tolerance, which also applies when consuming other alcoholic beverages.
References:
- https://www.reading.ac.uk/news-archive/press-releases/pr503596.html
- https://www.stylist.co.uk/food-drink/how-avoid-hangover-headache-vodka-wine-gin-spirits-champagne-congeners/42420#
