No occasion is complete without popping the champagne. Because it’s such a staple, many are curious, is 3 glasses of champagne too much celebration?
Champagne is an alcoholic beverage so it will alter your BAC levels no matter how much you consume. On average, about two glasses of champagne is enough to get an adult drunk. A third glass of this fizzy drink can cause some to be very drunk and experience a hangover the next day. Champagne can also get you drunk faster because of the bubbles.
Ultimately, how much champagne could get you drunk depends on varying factors like your weight and alcohol tolerance.
Can Champagne Get You Drunk?
Champagne is a staple beverage to serve at parties, celebrations, and special occasions. When something worth celebrating comes up, you can always hear the phrase “pop the champagne” for a reason.
Champagne is fun, refreshing, and bubbly sparkling wine – everything a celebration needs.
If you find yourself toasting not only one but several glasses of champagne, you may start to wonder if champagne can get you drunk.
Champagne is an alcoholic beverage, and like all other drinks with alcohol content, champagne can get you drunk, especially if you consume multiple servings of it.
Alcoholic beverages, like champagne, have their ABV (alcohol by volume) levels printed on their bottles. ABV indicates how much alcohol is in it. And no matter how much, as long as alcohol is present, it can affect and alter your BAC (blood alcohol concentration) level.
Champagne has a typical ABV of 11% to 13%. But if we’re going for a more exact number, many would agree that champagne has about 12.2% ABV. This level sits between sparkling white wine with about 11.5% ABV and red wine with about 12.5% ABV.
How Many Glasses and How Much Champagne Can Get You Drunk?
So we’ve established above that champagne can get you drunk. But exactly how much champagne and alcohol consumption can get you drunk?
How much champagne can get you drunk largely depends on your weight. Generally, someone under 113 kg (250 lbs) would need two rounds or glasses of champagne to get drunk.
People who are 45 kg to 54 kg (100 lbs to 200 lbs) could start feeling drunk after just one and a half glasses.
Moreover, one four-ounce glass of champagne is enough to bring your BAC to 0.08%, the minimum level to be considered legally drunk in the US.
Is 3 Glasses of Champagne Too Much?
Generally speaking, two glasses of champagne is already enough for an adult to start feeling the effects of the alcohol. If you drink champagne and find yourself reaching for a third glass, this will further increase your BAC and cause a hangover.
How Fast Can Champagne Get You Drunk?
Generally, champagne has about the same level of alcohol content as wine. But because champagne is carbonated, the bubbles in the drink will cause people to get drunk faster.
The bubbles and fizz in champagne will cause it to absorb quicker into the bloodstream and travel faster to the intestines, compared to other non-carbonated alcoholic drinks. This causes the drinker to feel the effects much faster in carbonated drinks than in flat beverages in comparable amounts.
The faster effect of getting drunk with champagne is the origin of the phrase “champagne goes straight to your head”.
Additionally, the faster you drink, the faster you get drunk and the drunker you feel. If you have too much to drink in just under an hour, you will feel the intoxicating effects more than when you space out your drinks over several hours.
If you’re drinking champagne on an empty stomach, you are likely to get drunk faster as well than drinking on a full stomach. Lastly, your tolerance and sensitivity to alcohol will affect how fast you’ll get drunk. Alcohol tolerance varies per person so make sure you know your limit when you’re out drinking.
The same can be said about other sparkling wines as well.
Champagne and Hangover
Just like drinking too much of other alcoholic beverages, champagne can cause a hangover. This is especially true if you find yourself drinking too fast and too much the night before.
Some would argue that a champagne drunk and consequent hangover is one of the worst there is.
To prevent a champagne hangover, drink responsibly and in moderation. Do not drink on an empty stomach and counter the effects of alcohol by drinking water.
If you’ve already got a hangover:
- Rehydrate with water or rehydration mixes to help with rapid hydration.
- Painkillers can help alleviate headache and muscle pain symptoms.
- Drink hot ginger tea or take a ginger supplement to alleviate nausea.
- Avoid coffee while recovering from a hangover.
Conclusion
Champagne is a staple alcoholic beverage in most celebrations. It adds fun and fizz to any occasion so many are wondering if 3 glasses of champagne is too much for one night.
Just like when you drink alcohol, champagne can get you drunk. On average, about two glasses of champagne is enough to get the drinker drunk. An additional third glass can get you very drunk and even cause a hangover to deal with the next day. Additionally, because it’s carbonated, champagne can get you drunk faster.
Of course, how much one needs to get drunk would depend on varying factors. So really, it still largely depends on the individual.
