“Alcohol keeps you warm in cold weather.”

It's a common misconception that having an alcoholic drink will help you stay warm in cold weather. This belief likely stems from the immediate sensation many people experience: a feeling of warmth spreading through their body shortly after consuming alcohol. This quick flush of warmth can be quite convincing, making it easy to assume that alcohol is effectively raising your body temperature and protecting you from the cold.

Scientifically, however, the opposite is true. Alcohol is a vasodilator, meaning it causes your blood vessels to dilate, or widen. When this happens, more warm blood rushes to the surface of your skin, particularly to your extremities. This increased blood flow to the skin is what creates that temporary, subjective feeling of warmth. However, this process also means that your body is losing heat much more rapidly to the colder environment. Instead of trapping heat, alcohol encourages its release.

People commonly believe this myth because the initial feeling of warmth is so pronounced and immediate. It tricks the body into thinking it's warming up, masking the dangerous reality that your core body temperature is actually dropping. This effect can be particularly hazardous in frigid conditions, as the accelerated heat loss significantly increases your risk of developing hypothermia, a potentially life-threatening condition where your body loses heat faster than it can produce it. Therefore, while alcohol might offer a fleeting sense of comfort, it ultimately compromises your body's ability to maintain its essential internal warmth.