“Drinking A Sweater” Myth–The Truth About Alcohol and Body Heat: Why You Feel Warm but Actually Get Colder

People love to say that a drink will warm you up on a cold night. It feels true. You take a sip of wine or whiskey and your face gets warm, your chest heats up, and suddenly the winter air feels less brutal. It is a comforting idea, but it is also one of the biggest myths around alcohol. You may feel warm, but your body is actually losing heat faster than before.

The warm feeling comes from what alcohol does to your blood vessels. When you drink, your blood vessels open up near the surface of your skin. More warm blood flows outward, which makes your skin feel heated and your cheeks turn red. It is a quick and pleasant sensation, and it tricks your brain into thinking your whole body is warming up.

What is really happening is the opposite. By pushing warm blood toward the surface, alcohol is letting your body heat escape into the air. Your core temperature starts to drop, even though you feel warm on the outside. This is why drinking in cold weather can be risky. Your body becomes less aware of how cold you actually are, and it struggles to hold onto the heat it needs to keep your vital organs safe.

Alcohol also makes your body worse at shivering. Shivering is one of the ways your body naturally creates heat when you are cold. Once alcohol blunts that response, you lose another important tool for staying warm. On top of that, alcohol affects judgment, which can lead someone to think they are fine outside when their temperature is dropping more than they realize.

This does not mean you cannot enjoy a holiday cocktail or a winter drink. It just means the warmth you feel is temporary and misleading. If you truly want to stay warm, you are better off with actual layers, hot food, or a warm non alcoholic drink. Alcohol can add fun to a cold night, but it will never replace a coat.

Resources: 

Alcohol’s Effects on the Body

Alcohol’s effect on body temperature: hypothermia, hyperthermia or poikilothermia?