Can You Mix Cognac And Whiskey

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The mega-popular cognac inspires street artists, songwriters, rappers, and fashion designers. Here are 10 things you need to know about Hennessy cognac. Guillon-Painturaud VSOP. Pete Stanton, head bartender at Ai Fiori in New York City.

By/Dec. 24, 2019 1:36 pm EST/Updated: July 15, 2020 5:21 pm EST

Let's talk about whiskey. There are countless popular country songs written about it, and the popularity of this drink is only continuing to grow both in the media and in sales. According to a report done by Global Market Insights, Inc., the whiskey market will exceed $84 billion worldwide by the year 2025. 'There's a growing appreciation for [bourbon] among millennials as opposed to beer and some other stuff,' Michter's Distillery president Joseph Magliocco told CNBC.

In 2018, the oldest living woman in Great Britain, Grace Jones (a.k.a. 'Amazing Grace') attributed her long life to the glass of whiskey she drank each night. 'I started having a nightly tot of it when I turned 50 so I've been having it every night for the last 60 years, and I certainly have no intention of stopping now,' she told Gloucestershire Live.

So, is there something to drinking whiskey every night? Here's what happens to your body when you drink whiskey often.

Your genes determine how whiskey affects you

Everyone is completely different when it comes to what flavors and types of alcohol they prefer, and whiskey is definitely one that appeals to a certain set of taste buds. However, a person's genetic makeup has a major impact on how whiskey affects their body as well.

For one, whiskey is usually thought of as more of a 'man's drink.' Fortunately, Jim Beam has been at the forefront of changing this perception, as actress Mila Kunis has endorsed the company's whiskey in their commercials. Interestingly enough, women are thought to be better at taste-testing whiskey than men are, according to science. It's apparently due to their more heightened sense of smell, as noted by Forbes.

It should go without saying that people who require medication and drink whiskey, or any other type of alcohol for that matter, can be at a substantial risk to the drink's more negative effects. This also applies to pregnant women, current or recovering alcoholics, and those with liver disease (via Harvard University).

If you drink whiskey every night instead of other alcohol, you'll consume less calories and carbs

For those alcohol enthusiasts who aren't looking to gain a beer belly, whiskey is a great choice. It contains no carbohydrates and virtually no sugar, as noted by Medical Daily. It also contains the least amount of calories compared to beer and most wines, according to Medline Plus.

Some studies have even suggested that drinking whiskey can help a person to lose weight. According to Harvard University, 'moderate drinking might be especially beneficial if you have low HDL that just won't budge upward with diet and exercise.' HDL is the good type of cholesterol, and it helps to remove 'excess cholesterol' in a person's bloodstream to keep a person's body in better shape (via Mayo Clinic).

However, keep in mind that adding any type of mixer to the whiskey can drive up your calorie count. 'If you're looking for a lower calorie alternative, avoid the flavored vodkas and spiced rums and go for the original or 'plain' option offered,' Caroline Cederquist, M.D., told GQ. So, when you order a Jack and Coke — maybe hold the Coke!

Difference Between Whiskey And Cognac

If you drink whiskey every night, you may help alleviate a cold

When a person is feeling just a bit under the weather, whiskey won't do 'em wrong. After all, even during the Prohibition in the 1920s when alcohol was banned throughout the U.S., doctors would prescribe whiskey to patients for medicinal purposes. 'There may have been some people who were being prescribed because there was a perceived medical need, but it was really a way for some physicians and pharmacists to make a few extra bucks,' Daniel Okrent, author of Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition, told SmithsonianMag.com.

However, as modern medicine and science has improved over time, studies today have shown that there really is some medical benefit to drinking just one glass of whiskey on a sick day (via HuffPost). Even though there is no known cure for the common cold, whiskey has properties that can help alleviate its symptoms and help make a person feel much better. 'The alcohol dilates blood vessels a little bit, and that makes it easier for your mucus membranes to deal with infection,' Dr. William Schaffner of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center told ABC News. So, if you're feeling sick, why not drink whiskey every night for just a few nights?

You might help improve your immune system if you drink whiskey every night

Turns out, it may be a good idea to have hot toddies on more of a regular basis. If people drink whiskey every night, they may not even have gotten sick in the first place, according to a study done by Oregon Health & Science University. Their experiment showed that drinking alcohol in moderation (one or less drinks per day for women and two or less for men, according to Harvard University) can help amp up the immune system and even help fight infections.

The key to keeping healthy is drinking in moderation. Drinking alcohol in excess, the study found, didn't provide the same results. 'If you have a family history of alcohol abuse, or are at risk, or have been an abuser in the past, we are not recommending you go out and drink to improve your immune system,' Ilhem Messaoudi, the study's author, said. 'But for the average person who has, say, a glass of wine with dinner, it does seem in general to improve health and cardiovascular function. And now we can add the immune system to that list.'

If you drink whiskey every night, you could keep away bacteria

Alcohol has been, both historically and even today, used and thought of as an antiseptic. Because of this, it's really no wonder many characters in action movies have been shown pouring whiskey onto their wounds in emergency situations (though there are much better ways to clean a wound!). According to one study, the properties in whiskey help to remove bacteria that people are unconsciously putting into their bodies — even germs that can live on the ice we drink!

To prove this, the study placed ice cubes that were contaminated with four different types of bacteria in various beverages. They included vodka, peach tea, Coke, whiskey, a Martini, and tonic water. When they later cultured out the bacteria in the various drinks, whiskey was the only one that did not allow any type of bacteria to grow in it (via the American Council on Science and Health). It's all the more reason to drink whiskey every night — in moderation, of course!

Studies show that you may be able to help your heart health if you drink whiskey every night

Grace Jones, who was once the oldest woman in Great Britain, told Gloucestershire Live, 'My doctor said 'keep up with the whisky Grace, it's good for your heart.' Turns out, her doctor was onto something.

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WebMD reviewed 84 studies showing that people who enjoyed a daily drink — or less — were 14 to 25 percent less likely to be diagnosed with heart disease than those who didn't drink. This may have been due to higher levels of HDL cholesterol found in whiskey. Whiskey drinkers also reportedly absorb more antioxidants than red wine drinkers, which can help protect against coronary heart disease (via BBC News).

However, because whiskey affects different people in different ways, Harvard University found that for a 30-year-old, the risks outweigh the benefits. For a 60-year-old, one drink per day may have more heart disease protection than potential harm. So be sure to take that into consideration when deciding if you should drink whiskey every night.

Can You Mix Cognac And Whiskey

If you drink whiskey every night, it could affect your memory

If you drink whiskey every day, we'd imagine having a glass would be especially satisfying at the end of a long work shift. However, a whiskey drink may 'make people nauseous' or 'give people hangovers,' as assistant professor of neuroscience at Brown University, Karla Kaun, noted to Forbes. She further asked, 'So why do we find them so rewarding?' She added, 'Why do we remember the good things about them and not the bad?'

Sure, drinking enough whiskey can cause a lapse in memory (and sometimes even judgment), but her study found that drinking whiskey can also affect how memories are formed. The team at Brown University concluded that whiskey completely alters proteins in the brain that are responsible for forming memories. Kaun noted she was afraid this could cause people to become dependent on alcohol in general, as it completely changes the way a person's brain is wired when drinking. With excessive drinking, this can lead to serious mind-changing problems. 'After three glasses, with an hour break in between, the pathway doesn't return to normal after 24 hours,' she said.

Another study found that men who had 2.5 daily drinks had signs of memory loss sooner than light to moderate drinkers. Cheers to the memories?

Can You Mix Cognac And Whiskey

Drinking whiskey may lower your risk of dementia and Alzheimer's

It seems drinking whiskey can do a person's brain some good in the long-term. A study coming out of Boston concluded that drinking one to six drinks each week might actually lower the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's among older adults. This combined with a healthy lifestyle, of course.

'Although there is no surefire way to completely prevent dementia, the best current evidence indicates that as well as only drinking in moderation, staying physically and mentally active, eating a healthy balanced diet, not smoking, and keeping weight, cholesterol and blood pressure in check are all good ways to support a healthy brain as we age,' Dr. Sara Imarisio, head of research at Alzheimer's Research U.K., told BBC News.

On the other hand, various studies have shown that drinking too much alcohol like whiskey can cause the complete opposite effect (via BBC News), so we better stick to enjoying a glass only six days a week at most like the study suggests! In our opinion, Mondays should definitely be one of those days.

If you drink whiskey every day, you may ease stress and anxiety

'I need a drink,' is something many people are guilty of saying after a long day at the office or perhaps after an unnecessarily stressful family reunion. Whiskey is a depressant, which means it slows down a person's central nervous system (via Very Well Mind). This is what makes a smooth glass of whiskey provide soothing relief after a hard day, and let's face it: Today's world is more of an anxiety-ridden society than ever before, so it's important to be smart about ways to deal with stress.

According to a study published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research in 2006, 20 percent of those with social anxiety disorder have also created a negative form of dependence on alcohol. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says heavy drinking includes eight or more drinks per week for women and 15 or more drinks per week for men. So, if you drink whiskey every night, you may feel calmer, but be sure not to overdo it.

You can dry out your skin if you drink whiskey every night

Though drinking a daily glass of whiskey may help ease a person's stress, unfortunately, it can stress out their skin. After all, there are many ways drinking alcohol affects your looks. 'While all alcohol can have damaging effects on your skin, dark liquors contain congeners, which are impurities,' makeup artist Molly Leahy told StyleCaster. She added, 'The more congeners you consume, the worse your skin will look the next day.'

The ingredients found in whiskey deprive a person's body of water (via AcnEase), causing the skin to become dry and potentially age more quickly over time. 'Hard liquor can also cause skin redness by dilating blood vessels, causing spider veins and broken capillaries, particularly around nose and cheeks area,' Dr. Dimitry Rabkin, the founder of Esthetica MD, said.

However, even with all of that being the case, a person can still enjoy one glass of whiskey as long as they take precautions with their skin in mind. Having spoken to Dr. Isabel Sharkur, a naturopathic doctor, PopSugar advised people to moisturize the morning after drinking to prevent skin from drying out.

If you drink whiskey every night, you could prolong your life

Drink up, because it turns out that drinking alcohol like whiskey has been proven to actually prolong a person's life — giving them even more time to enjoy whiskey.

A team at the University of California researched what makes certain people live to and beyond age 90. Their study found that the people who enjoyed two glasses of alcohol every evening had a slimmer chance of dying sooner. 'I have no explanation for it, but I do firmly believe that modest drinking improves longevity,' neurology specialist Claudia Kawas told Independent.

Studies continue to prove this. A card merely thought of pdf files. Another study done at the University of Texas found that drinking alcohol can actually help a person to live a longer life. However, moderation is the key. They found that heavy drinking actually increased a person's risk of death by 45 percent. Even more shocking, people who didn't drink any alcohol over the course of the study had an increased risk of 51 percent.

Can You Mix Cognac And Whiskey 1.75

If you always drink whiskey every night, you could damage your liver

It's important to not over-drink when trying to reap the benefits that whiskey can bring. Drinking more than one glass daily provides none of the benefits that this drink of choice has been proven to provide. In fact, it could seriously harm your body.

One of the largest organs that can easily be ruined by whiskey is the liver. We have all been warned of this, but how much is too much exactly? Well, by drinking three or four glasses a day, a person has a much higher chance of developing chronic liver disease, as reported by Vice. It may not seem like much and a person may feel completely fine after drinking the stuff for years, but the damage builds up over time and is sure to catch up with any devout whiskey lover. 'It's very sad, because when people do get sick from this, they're generally in their mid-30s to mid-40s,' said medical director Steven Flamm from Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

A drink a day may seem like it will keep the doctor away, but whiskey is best limited to just that.

If you drink whiskey every night, you will build up your tolerance to alcohol, so moderation is key

Drinking whiskey in moderation is the key to gaining its benefits, but what exactly does 'moderation' mean? According to Harvard University, this is one drink daily for women and no more than two for men. However, one drink does not mean filling a glass to the brim with some smooth Tennessee whiskey (although, sometimes that seems like a great idea). Rather, one glass is 1.5 ounces.

Over time, though, one glass of whiskey each evening can make a person feel differently than before. Building up a tolerance to alcohol can be dangerous because it can cause over-drinking, and, over time, the liver learns how to more easily and quickly break down the alcohol in a person's system.

The brain has a similar reaction. It will literally alter itself and adjust to handling alcohol so well that a person will no longer have any of those loopy effects people may have felt when they had their first drink. And, when it comes to drinking too much, your brain will never be the same. 'The system is forever changed,' director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, George F. Koob, Ph.D., told HuffPost.

Can You Mix Cognac And Whiskey Brands

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