Does Drinking Alcohol Really Keep You Warm When It's Cold Out?

Rubbish! When I worked at Texas Instruments' DSP division in Stafford, Texas, we had a string of winter days one year that were so cold the town's flashers only described themselves.

Bundled in my best L.L. Bean arctic wear I passed on numerous occasions T.I. employees standing outside, all happily chatting away in their shirtsleeves, as if this were just another balmy spring day. As I passed by, they paused to stare at my winter's garb in utter disbelief but quickly regained their composure. "You ain't from around here, are ya, fella?" they smiled.

"Nope. Just moved here from God's Country: Boston, Massachusetts."

"Yankee, eh? Well, I suppose every man has his cross to bear," he winked.

Native Texans, every one. And very friendly, yet the mystery remained: why didn't they feel cold? Naturally the correlation escaped me until one day I learnt that 'Building 3' referred to a large sports bar conveniently located across the street. I don't recall the joint's real name, but their Margaritas were fab!

The ability of some people's tolerance for extremes of temperature on both ends of the thermometer borders on the use of a "Star-Wars' type use of 'The Force'. Most of these exceptional people are indeed employing some sort of mind control over their bodily functions. Alcohol dilates the capillaries all over the body, evening out the average person's perceived temperature. Since a drunk person's extremities are not shutting down to preserve their core temperature, then their ability to ultimately survive the drastic extremes of cold should logically be of shorter duration of exposure, than that of a sober person. The exceptions to this particular hypothesis might be a combination of several things. Most people when sufficiently drunk have some degree of an 'I'm indestructible' attitude. Combine that with a 'placebo effect' reinforcing that frame of mind, and a general slowing down of their heart rate, and the time of exposure that they may be able to survive could be extended beyond what we might think is logically possible. As for the average drunk being able to tolerate extended periods in moderate to severe cold conditions, just being drunk truly numbs the senses, and they truly may not be 'feeling it' because of some sort of an overall general anesthesia.

I don't know if it works, but Bear Grylls had a tip for warm feet when out in a cold environment. Stick you feet in icey water, dry, then put your socks on and hit the sack. 'warm as toast all night long' was how he described it. Your method sounds a whole lot more fun.

In the UK, alcohol consumption gradually increase as you move North. At the same time, winter-wear seems to go down. Visit Newcastle (North of England) on a freezing winters night, and you'll see men and women wearing virtually nothing on a night out. Cross the border, and I've seen Scottish people walking up hills sporting not much more than a kilt and bottle of whisky. Bit odd, because it's largely American tourist who like to don a kilt in Scotland.

I'll agree with the OP, but who's going to go slap those St Bernard dogs ? I don't know if the practice of them carrying a small barrel of brandy was ever true, but I like the idea. They're so gorgeous looking. Comforting nip of Brandy, then warm my feet in it's fluffy carcass as I await rescue.

I'm not sure if this is the bloke renowned for swimming in extreme cold, but it's an interesting enough read. Muscovites are renowned for heavy drinking and swimming in freezing water. Don't know if those two sub-sets are the same, but it's an interesting coincidence if not. Acclimatization/Desensitization/mind control over the bodies natural reaction (as with people who practice such things as yoga and lower pulse/respiration) ?

Growing up on a farm we repaired equipment in the winter months. Not much heat in the shop so we (grandpa) kept a bottle out there to help. No drunken extremes just a nip every no and then to knock off the chill. My first wife and I moved into an old farm house with a wood stove as the main source of heat. In the coldest days of winter you really did have to break the ice in the toilet before using it. One night I crawled into bed and she complained my feet were to cold. I got up and took a sip of Southern Comfort and went back to bed. She was shocked that it actually warmed me up including the feet. So, short story long, the effecs were not just felt by me but also noticable to her as well.

Growing up on the farm, I don't think it toughens you, I just don't think one knew any better and that was the way things are.

As far as old farm houses, I still laugh to this day when my dad mentioned to me when I was about 10 years old on a cold, wind blowing, wintery day, that our house is built like a corn crib.

Did not intend to imply being tougher by living on a farm. Just providing the setting for the story.

As for the corn crib, her parents lived in a Victorian style home in town. When the snow got to deep to drive through we would stay with them. I got up one night to shut the window because the curtains were blowing. Found the window closed.

From Wisconsin, there are a lot of vacationers that go to Florida. and when Florida has a cold snap........ in the 60's, you can tell whose from up north. There the ones in shorts and tee shirts.

I don't believe one word of it, cuz that thar shore looks t' me like a whole bunch o' White Lightnin' on-the-hoof. Yew ain't foolin' nobody with that 'wind-blows' guff, farm boy.

Now show us that pic o' yore pappy's still. The one taken by th' Revenuers? (How much does he want for it? The still, I mean.)

When I was about 30, I built a ramjet that first used propane, but I had some issues with the fuel freezing, so I made an 'alternative' fuel that did not freeze.

'Bout 60 gallons worth. It was great........ Until my brother got into it and over indulged......... And dad dump all of out before he hurt himself........ And least that's what I thought.........until l found out where my brother stashed 2 gallons.

In his autobiography, MiG Pilot, Lieutenant Victor Belenko wrote that, at any given time, at least half of the fighter jets at his Siberian base were grounded because the ground crews had pinched the radar coolant - pure ethanol - in lieu of vodka, which was in short supply. Evidently the Soviet Air Force did not consider vodka a legitimate provision and so didn't ship any. Naturally the brass failed to take into account the inevitable fact that their crews might turn to other sources...

In grade school, we watched films on this (propaganda?)and that the Russians used alcohol as hydraulic fluid??? As a 11-12 yo. Can remember.