Why Everyone Loves To Crack Open A Cold One
There’s a reason why there are so many country songs out there about beer. It’s a tasty, refreshing beverage that can help you cool down on a hot summer day or help you unwind after a long day at work.
Everyone seems to have their preferred beer, with some swearing by Bud Light while others will never drink anything but Coors. Some cite having a more “refined” palette as a reason why they only drink craft beer, which is typically stronger and more flavorful than the stuff you can find in a can at your local 7-11.
Since people are so passionate about their favorite beers, you’d think that taste is the main factor that drives them to drink it. But a one study proves that assumption is actually incorrect.
A Study’s Surprising Findings
Researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago published a study titled A genome-wide association study of bitter and sweet beverage consumption, in which they investigated the reasons why people gravitate toward beverages such as coffee, beer, and soda.
Their findings were surprising, as the researchers discovered that people don’t drink beer, coffee, and other beverages because of the taste, but rather, because of how those beverages make them feel.
The data was drawn from questionnaires completed by 336,000 individuals from the U.K. In the questionnaires, the participants indicated everything they ate and drank over a 24-hour time period.
It’s All About The Buzz
Scientists conducting the study were surprised that many of the participants said they drank coffee, soda, or alcohol during the day because of the feeling it gave them, not for the taste.
NBC News quotes Marilyn Cornelis, co-author of the study and an assistant professor at Northwestern University Feinberg, about the study’s findings.
“The genetics underlying our preferences are related to the psychoactive components of these drinks,” Cornelis said. “People like the way coffee and alcohol make them feel. That’s why they drink it. It’s not the taste.”
Even though the results of this study were not what the researchers were expecting to discover, it makes sense when you think about it. You often associate beer with good times and having fun, so it stands to reason why most people drink it for the feelings it gives them, rather than the taste.
What do y’all think about the study’s findings? Do they prove to be true when it comes to your own affection for beer and other beverages?