Why Mixing Alcohol and Coffee Makes You More Intoxicated

Most people have heard the old song “Wine and Coffee,” where the singer claims to feel fine no matter how many drinks they’ve had. Decades later, health authorities proved that feeling isn’t just lyrical—it’s dangerously misleading. Combining alcohol with stimulants like caffeine tricks your brain into underestimating how drunk you really are.

Yes, drinking alcohol mixed with caffeine—like coffee or energy drinks—makes you more likely to keep drinking and less aware of your level of intoxication, increasing your risk of overconsumption by up to three times and drunk driving by up to four times, according to U.S. public health data.

What the Science Says About Alcohol and Caffeine

Years ago, the idea of mixing alcohol with caffeine-heavy drinks—especially those like sports beverages or coffees—became trendy, particularly among young drinkers. But behind the social appeal lay a serious misunderstanding. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have since flagged this combination as risky. Why? Because caffeine doesn’t reduce your blood alcohol level or help your body metabolize alcohol. Instead, it masks the typical sedative effects of alcohol—like drowsiness and slowed reflexes—so drinkers feel more alert than they actually are.

This disconnect leads people to underestimate their impairment. They think they’re fine to drive or have “just one more,” when they’re already well beyond safe limits. Scientific studies back this up: the more caffeine you consume with alcohol, the worse your judgment becomes about your own intoxication.

The Hidden Dangers of Caffeinated Alcoholic Beverages (CABs)

Beyond casual mixing, some manufacturers have taken the combination further by producing pre-mixed caffeinated alcoholic beverages (CABs). These drinks typically contain between 5% and 12% alcohol along with a significant dose of caffeine—but crucially, the caffeine content is rarely disclosed on the label.

From 2002 to 2008, the two top-selling CAB brands saw their sales explode by 67 times, reaching over 80 million litres. Around 30 companies were producing these products, many targeting younger consumers. The appeal was clear: drinkers felt more energetic and less intoxicated, encouraging them to consume more without recognizing the danger.

But these beverages posed serious risks. A 2006 study published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research found that while people who drank alcohol mixed with energy drinks reported fewer symptoms like headache or weakness, their actual motor skills and reaction times remained impaired. In short, they felt less drunk but were just as—or more—incapable of safe decision-making.

Why the FDA Took Action

The fundamental issue is regulation. In the U.S., any substance added to food or drink must either be generally recognized as safe (GRAS) or expressly approved by the FDA. For caffeine, the FDA has set a limit of 0.0002% in non-alcoholic beverages—but it has never approved adding caffeine to alcoholic drinks.

None of the CAB producers submitted GRAS applications for their products, meaning the addition of caffeine to their alcoholic beverages lacked any official safety clearance. Under U.S. food safety law, that makes the caffeine an illegal additive when combined with alcohol.

In response, on November 13, 2010, the FDA sent warning letters to four CAB manufacturers. The agency declared the caffeine in their alcoholic drinks to be an unsafe food additive and gave them 15 days to outline corrective actions—or face legal action to halt sales.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does caffeine actually reduce the effects of alcohol?

No. Caffeine does not lower your blood alcohol concentration or speed up alcohol metabolism. It only reduces the feeling of drunkenness by masking fatigue and slowing your perception of impairment.

Why are mixed alcohol and caffeine drinks more dangerous?

They make drinkers feel less intoxicated than they actually are, leading to overconsumption, poor judgment, and increased risk of accidents, injuries, and drunk driving.

Are caffeinated alcoholic beverages still sold in the U.S.?

Following FDA warnings in 2010, many major brands reformulated their products to remove caffeine or stopped selling caffeinated alcoholic drinks altogether. However, mixing your own remains common and equally risky.

How much more likely are people to drive drunk when consuming caffeine with alcohol?

According to a 2009 University of Florida study, those who mix alcohol with energy drinks or caffeinated sodas are four times more likely to drive under the influence compared to those drinking alcohol alone.

What did the FDA say about caffeine in alcoholic drinks?

The FDA stated that caffeine is not approved as a safe additive to alcoholic beverages and that its presence in such drinks constitutes an unauthorized and unsafe food additive without proper GRAS status or FDA approval.

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