subject: Hard Alcohol the Quickest Way to Get a Drunk Driving Charge [print this page] Hard Alcohol the Quickest Way to Get a Drunk Driving Charge
Lots of people understand just how much alcohol they could consume and be legally permissible to operate a vehicle (under the blood alcohol content statute at least). What some don't realize is the different effect hard alcohol has on the body from beer or wine. Below, I'll describe the various ways in which hard alcohol can impact your body in much more significant ways than other types of drinks.
Hard alcohol (or liquor) is spirituous liquor which has a higher than 20% alcohol by volume. It includes but is not limited to rum, gin, whiskey, vodka, tequila, cognac, brandy, or any other distilled alcohol. It might be consumed by sipping small amounts served in 2 oz serving glasses, or blended with non-alcoholic liquids to create a "mixed drink."
The truth is, most of us will be fine if we drank hard alcohol in its original form, as a sipped liquor. The harsh taste of the fiercely alcoholic drink will keep consumption to amounts relative to beer or wine. A scotch on the rocks is a drink to be sipped as time passes, and in this author's opinion its effects are kept in balance as a result of burn associated with each drink.
The dangerous facet of drinking hard alcohol arises from when liquor is mixed to produce a drink that has the alcoholic content of the original spirit, but the taste of the "mixer." As an example, gin is a neutral spirit distilled with juniper berries. It features a strong taste to it, especially brands like Bombay. Although some enjoy a non-mixed gin drink, most will combine it with a number of ingredients. Probably the most legendary mixed drink of all time is the gin and tonic. Gin put together with tonic water creates a taste quite like soda water, helping to make it popular for those who enjoy a drink minus the strong taste of alcohol or hops.
How can this correspond with Dui? Well, quite simply, you never know just how much you're getting in a mixed drink. While a bar recipe will usually prescribe a specific amount of liquor (1 1/2 ounces) to a different quantity of mixer (6 ounces), most recipes are varied depending on the establishment and bartender. Furthermore, every brand and kind of alcohol varies in the alcoholic content, all the way up to liquors that are 51% alcohol by volume. Whereas beer will often vary between 4.8% and 6%, a minimal difference, just one mixed drink could be between one and four "beers."
This is dangerous when coupled with a car, as a person can have just one mixed drink and drive off, not knowing they had actually consumed four drinks inside a short period of time. Obviously this person would be over the limit in most cases and in almost all jurisdictions. What began as a quick after work aperitif quickly becomes a criminal charge.
The moral of the story is to be careful when consuming hard alcohol. Know the proportions which you're drinking, the brand, and ask your bartender to be precise in their measurements. When you do find yourself arrested for a DUI or DWI, contact a reputable DUI lawyer immediately. A DUI attorney will represent you in court and defend your rights and freedom.
If you're been arrested for a DUI or DWI in the greater metro area, contact a Phoenix DUI Attorney immediately. A Phoenix DUI lawyer will protect you in court and negotiate with the prosecution on your behalf, with the goal of keeping you in your car and out of jail. Good luck and stay safe!
