Buzz
According to Esquire's Aaron Goldfarb reports, Jim Koch stated this. As the co-founder and chairman of the Boston Beer Company, Koch might have a method to stay composed at the alcohol-filled events he often attends. This advice was passed down from his late friend, beer icon and biochemist 'Dr. Joe'—also known as Joseph Owades, PhD.
Owades suggested that eating a teaspoon of active yeast per beer—mixed into yogurt for easier consumption—before drinking could lessen alcohol's effects. Koch claims he's followed this advice with notable success for years. The science behind the idea is that yeast contains an enzyme, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), which breaks alcohol molecules into carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Typically, this process occurs in the liver while your body metabolizes alcohol, but with yeast in the stomach, the alcohol could be broken down before reaching the liver, protecting your bloodstream and preserving your dignity.
Esquire tested this theory with several drinking experiments, though not in the most scientific manner. They found that while it doesn't do much to prevent the effects of binge drinking, it does help keep you alert (and later, relatively hangover-free) during a night of 'responsible' drinking spread out over several hours.
As someone who doesn’t drink beer (Amaretto sours are my preferred drink), I decided to skip testing this out myself and instead reached out to food scientists for a more informed perspective. The experts at Pennsylvania State University's Food Science Department were kind enough to assist.
Overall, they questioned the assumed simplicity of the reaction Koch is relying on. While Owades' science isn’t entirely incorrect, he overlooks other factors, like the stomach environment. However, the three professors who contributed expressed varying degrees of skepticism. First, there was Dr. John Hayes:
It seems improbable, and I seriously doubt it works. Still, until a well-controlled empirical study is conducted, we can't say for sure. Personally, I wouldn't risk a DUI by trying this.
Dr. Ryan Elias was more optimistic, noting, 'Brewer's yeast (S. cerevisiae) is quite effective at producing the enzyme in question here (alcohol dehydrogenase), as it's essential for survival in high-ethanol environments (such as beer and wine).' He also speculated that the yeast might 'work at a rate comparable to in vivo absorption.' However, he was cautious, acknowledging that 'some aspects' seemed plausible, but we need to understand the effect of the stomach's pH level first.
In response, Dr. Joshua Lambert provided the necessary context to challenge Owades' theory:
I'm unsure about the survival rate of yeast in the acidic environment of the stomach. Some yeast may survive, but I question whether it can compete effectively. Regarding the enzyme, its optimal pH for activity lies between 8.6 and 9 (i.e., basic), and it requires a cofactor, which, while abundant within the yeast, is likely not easily accessible in the stomach or small intestine.
So how does Koch manage to stay upright after several beers? And how can someone outdrink their friends or, in my case, keep it together after more than one Amaretto sour? Lambert has some thoughts on this as well:
I think it's far more likely that Jim Koch's ability to drink beer all night without getting drunk stems from an adaptive response in his own body. Alcohol dehydrogenase and cytochrome P450 2E1, both of which metabolize alcohol, are inducible enzymes. Their activity increases after exposure. Regular drinkers tend to have higher levels than those who abstain. It's a fascinating story and scientifically plausible, but much more likely that the drinker's liver has adapted.
Did you catch that? If you want to drink like Jim Koch, it might be time to start practicing your own liver's endurance!
