If you feel relaxed after a beer, but aggressive after some whiskey on the rocks, you’re not alone.

A new study found that certain alcoholic drinks are associated with particular moods more than others. For instance, spirits are more often associated with negative moods, while wines and beer often elicit positive responses, according to the study which was published in BMJ Open on Tuesday (Nov. 21).

The findings were based on data from Global Drug Survey, which is the largest online survey on alcohol consumption among adults worldwide.

Researchers from the United Kingdom’s Public Health Wales National Health System Trust and King’s College London analysed how 29,836 participants between 18 and 34 years of age from 21 countries felt over the past 12 months after drinking alcohol.

They were asked to choose from a range of emotional states, including more energised, relaxed, sexy or confident; or tired, ill, restless, more aggressive or tearful.

The most relaxing drinks were red wine and beer, with 52.8 per cent of the respondents saying that beer boosted relaxation. Only 20 per cent of respondents said that spirits helped them to relieve tension.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, almost 30 per cent of the participants who drank spirits said they felt more aggressive, compared to 2.5 per cent of red wine drinkers who felt the same way.

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At the same time, more than half of the respondents reported that spirits boosted their confidence and energy levels, and 42.4 per cent said the strong drinks made them feel sexier.

The responses were also dependent on age. The researchers noted that respondents from the 18 to 24 year old group most consistently indicated that any alcoholic drink, when consumed in a social setting, was likely to boost confidence and energy levels, and made them feel attractive.

Gender, too, plays a role. For instance, women were more likely to report that any type of alcohol brought on any of the emotions, except aggression. Men, on the other hand, were more likely to experience aggression with any type of alcohol.

Interestingly, respondents who drank excessively were five times more likely than casual drinkers to say they felt invigorated by alcohol.

Professor Mark Bellis and his team explained that heavy drinkers may be motivated to drink excessively as they think alcohol can boost positive emotions.

“Understanding emotions associated with alcohol consumption is imperative to addressing alcohol misuse, providing insight into what emotions influence drink choice between different groups in the population,” said Prof Bellis. (ChannelNewsAsia)