Malic + ABV = VIPs

[Alan Yelvington]

I got feedback that my cider (6.8% ABV 5g/L
malic) get the drinker tipsy faster than a
similar ABV of malt beverage.

Is there any science to support the premise
that malic has an amplifying affect?  I make
it a point to tell the beverage manager the
ABV of my ciders and to let the servers be
aware that a serving could intoxicate a
patron more quickly than expected.

Any comments on this?

Al
Shadow Cider Co.

[AW]

I'm not sure if "amplify" is the right term.  I would go with "hasten" rather than a term which suggests potentiation.  

It sounds like the composition of beer/wine versus distilled spirits is know to have an impact on gastric output...which could in turn affect how rapidly alcohol is absorbed in the gut.  Frustratingly, malic acid was not tested as a variable. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC408116/

IMO, its probably down to error in the ABV measurement as well as the different speeds with which peole consume different beverages.  Beer can be more filling at a higher gravity and act as a speed bump for consumption.  

[Cory Widmayer]

Do you use a pectinase during processing of the apples?  All of the cider I've made from pectinase-treated mash has given me far worse headaches and hangovers vs. non-treated (pectinase treatment before pressing the mash).

Something I have focused on with wine and cider is methanol.  Methanol is usually very low in malt beverages but can be elevated in wine.  While apple processing could never yield enough to kill you or make you blind, it can contribute to headaches, hangover, and intoxication.  Apple is high in methylated pectin, so the potential methanol content can be higher than other non-distilled alcoholic beverages.

[HappyDogFarm]

ABV measurement is honest.  I have an ebeulometer with a precision digital thermometer.  I do appreciate that malic could be an accelerator rather than an amplifier.

No, no pectinase last season.

ay

[mian latif]

There is not good evidence that malic acid itself makes a 6.8% cider intoxicating faster than a malt beverage at the same ABV. The important distinction is between total alcohol consumed and how quickly that alcohol is absorbed.

Studies show that the rate of alcohol absorption can vary substantially with the beverage, food in the stomach, alcohol concentration, and gastric emptying. Beverage type can therefore affect the timing of peak BAC, but that does not establish malic acid as the cause.

At 5 g/L malic acid, your cider is quite acidic, but I wouldn't tell servers that the malic acid makes it inherently more intoxicating than a beer or malt beverage of the same ABV. There doesn't appear to be convincing human evidence demonstrating that effect.

One factor worth considering is carbonation. Some controlled research has found that carbonated alcoholic drinks can produce faster alcohol absorption in some people, although the effect varies considerably between individuals.

So, if your cider is 6.8% ABV, the safest and most scientifically defensible message to the beverage manager is simply that it contains 6.8% alcohol, and serving size and drinking rate should be considered. A person can certainly feel intoxicated sooner depending on how quickly they drink, whether they've eaten, body size, and individual metabolism—but that's different from saying the malic acid "amplifies" alcohol.

For checking cider ABV from your gravity readings, you can also use ABV Calculator.