Does the way you develop organic grain alcohol into a specific spirit or beverage really affect how drinkers react to it? It may sound like an old wive’s tale, but this is according to new research by Public Health Wales.

However, rather than identifying what elements in these drinks may be causing these affectations, the study is more anecdotal. In the study, over 30,000 drinkers aged between 18 and 34 were asked about their own emotional reactions when drinking certain kinds of drink, and the conclusion found that drinking spirits is more likely to draw out negative feelings, according to The Telegraph.

One third of spirit drinkers said they associate drinking with aggression, compared to only 2.5 per cent of red wine drinkers, while 25 per cent of gin-lovers said they got teary when drinking, while only 9 per cent of white wine and beer drinkers felt the same.

Over half of red wine and beer drinkers feel more relaxed after their favourite drink, while only 20 per cent of spirit drinkers felt calmer after drinking.

Professor Mark Bellis, Public Health Wales’ director of policy, research and international development, said that the history of spirits, such as gin, rum and vodka, is littered with violence, explaining that: “Spirits are often consumed more quickly and have much higher concentrations of alcohol in them. This can result in a quicker stimulating effect as blood alcohol levels increase.”

The study does also acknowledge that drinkers may be in different social occasions when drinking different beverages. Those drinking spirits are more likely to be looking to ‘get drunk’, while beers and wines are more prevalent with casual, social drinkers.