Coloradans Are a Bunch of Lightweights When It Comes to Booze
First off, let me say that after living here for a little over a year, I agree AND disagree with this study. I mostly disagree, and here's why.
Firstly, I disagree with it because I've seen some pretty incredible drinking performances by some locals since I've been out here. But, at the same time, I kind of get it, because I've noticed what a lightweight I've become, especially during my first few months out here, because of the effect the altitude plays in getting drunker faster. I've since enhanced my tolerance a bit, but I can still certainly notice the difference from drinking at a higher altitude.
Sure, Colorado is well known for its beer. We have over 400 breweries located throughout the Centennial State. In fact, we have over 20 breweries in Fort Collins alone, and even before I moved here, I was well aware of the beer reputation that NoCo had. But I'm not going to lie, I'm a little surprised by this finding that we here in Colorado are some serious lightweights when it comes to holding our alcohol.
Upgradepoints.com recently put together a study on which states could hold their alcohol the best and Colorado came in second to last. Oregon was the only state ahead of us in terms of the number of lightweights it had.
I've lived here for over a year now, and I can honestly say I don't think they studied the people in OUR neighborhood because those folks can put away the booze with the best of them. Yes, I live in a fun neighborhood.
It has to be the elevation right? I mean, that's one of the first things I noticed when moving here was how much quicker I felt tipsy due to the altitude.
This study shows that the average Coloradan is a pretty cheap date and gets drunk on 2.11 beers. I'm not buying it, but that's what it says. The national average is about 3.5. This is based on the average beer having a 4.5% alcohol content which, in my opinion, is pretty weak.
When I'm getting a beer, anything under 6-6.5% I'm not even messing with, but that's just me.
Texas came in at #1 when it comes to people that can hold their booze. It takes the average Texan over five beers before they start to feel drunk, but that doesn't surprise me at all since I lived there for about seven years and witnessed some of the most incredible feats of drinking I've ever seen in my life.