Here's why mixing alcohol with Diet Coke gets you drunk faster than regular Coke

Could Diet Coke™ have unsuspected virtues? Inexpensive, (very) easily available, Coca-Cola is often used as a cocktail base at parties. No need to have advanced knowledge in mixology: mixed with rum, for example, greatly facilitates the consumption of strong alcohol. But many people have noticed that its effectiveness was increased when it was replaced by its variant, Coca-Cola Light™. What does the science say?

Coca-Cola Light™ Vs. Coca-Cola™ Classic

Loryn Powell is one of those people who noticed that Diet Coke got you drunk faster than regular Coke™. Curious, she decided to conduct an experiment: Drink the same cocktail with both types of Coke, blow into a breathalyzer and film it.

As expected, this TikToker had a higher alcohol concentration after drinking 4 Diet Cokes! Was the sugar-free variant of Coke secretly alcoholic? We reassure you, this is not the case, and behind these curious results is a simple scientific explanation.

Read more ⋙ Coca-Cola tastes different around the globe, here's why

Slower sugar absorption

As Loryn Powell's video went viral (1.5 million views as of this writing), the account, @dr.Karan answered that millennial question. But why on earth does Diet Coke™ make us drunk faster?

His explanation, brief and to the point:

It has nothing to do with the diet mixer, but more to do with the fact that sugar in regular Coke makes your stomach empty more slowly into the small intestine

Indeed, the sugar, before passing must be digested to be absorbed, and as Coca-Cola Light™ does not have it the digestion of Whiskey Coca-Cola Light is significantly faster than that of the classic Whiskey Coca! 'It's the same principle as why you get drunk faster on an empty stomach' adds @dr.Karan.

This article is translated from Gentside FR.

Read more:

⋙ Coca-Cola: The surprising reason why McDonald's coke tastes different

⋙ Here’s a secret hack to open a Coca-Cola can

Sources used:

TikTok