Chinese beer + Sichuan food = really bad headache?

[cdn_in_bj]

It has happened to me twice recently where I'll have a bit of beer at lunch and end up with a really bad headache later in the afternoon that lasts until the next morning. And it's not like I've gotten myself drunk - we're talking one big bottle of Yanjing, so it's not even enough to get a good buzz going.

At first I thought that maybe there was methanol in the beer or that I had somehow become alergic to alcohol, but after some analysis I wonder if's a combination of the beer plus what I ate. Both times I did have fish-boiled-in spicy-oil, so could it have been a bad reaction between the beer and Sichuan pepper? It wouldn't surprise me if there's something about the Sichuan pepper as it was banned in Canada for a long time.

Has anyone else experienced this? I have a friend coming to visit me next week, and it would really suck to not be able to drink!

[muyongshi]

Never! I don't think it has a connection as I have spicy (and do I love my spice) Sichuan food everyday and more often than not it is accompanied by a nice cold one (well I imagine it's cold more than it really is).

Maybe you are just turning Chinese and get drunk after one or two small cups

[chabuduo]

Yeah I've never had a problem with Sichuanese food and alcohol. Although a drink in the middle of the day is best followed by a glass or two of water and a short nap.

That being said I've never experienced bad headaches after just one big bottle. Could it be that the particular restaurant you visited used way too much MSG in their food and you had a reaction to that? But if that was the case you'd be getting headaches after every meal no matter where you ate.

Could be that the beer was fake.

[Colossus]

You sure it wasn't the fish? Everyone I've spoken to here says to stay away from the fish.

[imron]

I don't drink much, but I've noticed that sometimes I'll also get similar headaches from some Chinese beers. Again this is from only drinking small amounts, like for example sharing half a bottle with someone or from one glass of draught. Yanjing was one in particular that I noticed it would happen with, and now, on the occasions where I'm likely to have a drink, I'll avoid Yanjing beer if I can help it.

[pandaface]

Maybe you got fake one

[trevelyan]

Different restaurants?

[Tommi]

It could be because of 香菜 (coriander), it's happened a couple times to me before figuring out the source, so now I always ask for no 香菜 in anything. I really don't drink any alcohol, so that couldn't be the reason either. And there's really nothing wrong with sichuanese or the fish here, you can rule out those reasons too.

[flameproof]

If it's not an allergic reaction it could be:

You are sensitive to that brand of beer (I am very sensitive to the wrong beer and get a terrible headache. However, Yanjing has quite a high standard. But I presume your Yanjing is "local". Or maybe it was fake, Yanjing is a famous brand and certainly gets faked in China too.

You are sensitive to MSG (I get an itchy skin with too much).

Something in the food. Coriander is a little unlikely since it's common all over China. Typical for Sichuan, and only there, they often add "Flower Pepper", that spicy numbing stuff.

[imron]

It could be because of 香菜 (coriander), it's happened a couple times to me before figuring out the source, so now I always ask for no 香菜 in anything

Not for me, I love coriander. Anyway, as for the headaches, it was probably just the formaldehyde. Sure it's a carcinogen, but formaldehyde levels in Chinese beer are lower than WHO standards, which makes it all ok

[flameproof]

but formaldehyde levels in Chinese beer are lower than WHO standards,

I think the WHO formaldehyde standard was about preserving dead bodies and not about consumption.

[imron]

I guess that makes the beer manufacturers rather forward thinking then.

[cdn_in_bj]

Hey, wow I didn't expect to get this kind of reaction. Thanks guys for your suggestions.

Coriander and Sichuan food by itself is not a problem for me. If I have a lot of spicy Sichuan food, the worst is that I'll be very... umm... "regular" the next day.

As for MSG, yes I am a bit sensitive to it but usually it just makes me a bit drowsy. However, back home I did have a few bad cases where I ended up with a headache.

Imron, you mentioned the fake booze/formaledhyde thing. I actually did look into this, and I think you may be onto something here. Now that I think of it, I very rarely drink during the day. If I do drink, it's usually at night. And like I said, these headaches started a few hours after drinking, not right away, so by this time I'd usually be passed out in bed. So I can conclude that my getting headaches these times after drinking Yanjing beer may not be an abnormal occurrence for me.

By the way, if you're sensitive to beer, I suggest you stay away from 金酒 (a type of baijiu). Half a shot of that is enough for me to get a bad headache.

Maybe you are just turning Chinese and get drunk after one or two small cups

That could be it too! I must say that after coming here, my drinking has gone way down.

Anyways, I think I'll from now on I'll just stay away from Yanjing. Though the more expensive stuff in the clear, short (fat) bottles seems to be ok. In fact, I think it best I stay away from beer in general, for the sake of my waistline. But with hard liquor one runs an even higher chance of running into fake booze. Maybe I'll resort to drinking at home. What was the Chinese term for that again? Oh right, 闷酒.

[imron]

Maybe I'll resort to drinking at home. What was the Chinese term for that again? Oh right, 闷酒

It's not 闷酒 if there are other people... when was the Wii Sports tournament again?

[cdn_in_bj]

It's not 闷酒 if there are other people... when was the Wii Sports tournament again?

That's very true! Hey, I still haven't gotten a Wii yet. In fact, I just heard that prices have gone up (to around 2300) because the latest firmware renders the current modchips inoperable. Prices are expected to stay high until they come out with a new modchip.

[cdn_in_bj]

In my own version of 闷酒 I decided to conduct a taste test between Johnny Walker Black Label and Chivas Regal 12 year this evening. Conclusions? I prefer Johnny Black, but after a few shots of both the difference becomes academic. I truly haven't been buzzed this good in a long time. And I've also rediscovered my love for potato chips.

And hey, no headache! So to hell with Yanjing!

[roddy]

At first I thought that maybe there was methanol in the beer or that I had somehow become alergic to alcohol, but after some analysis . . .

I decided to conduct a taste test . . .

A drunk! Me?! I'll have you know I'm a . . . hic . . . scientist!

I kind of gave up on the cheaper end of the bottled beer market - sure, it's dirt cheap, but I found the quality to be variable. Particularly for drinking at home, as once you've carried it all the way up the stairs . . . Pricier bottled stuff, or any tins, seem to be more consistent.

Never found myself to have a bad reaction to the stuff in combination with spicy food though. Although a large lunch and beer may well have resulted in my sleeping through any after-effects.

[wushijiao]

When I lived near Beijing, sometimes we would drink the cheap Yanjing when eating eat mutton sticks. Not too much beer, mind you. But always more of a headache the next day (as compared to an overall hangover). I was convinced it had something to do with the formaldehyde.

As far as Sichuan food, any additional headache that it might cause is outweighed by the additional dose of deliciousness!

[cdn_in_bj]

A drunk! Me?! I'll have you know I'm a . . . hic . . . scientist!

Woke up this morning with a bit of a headache, but after drinking fluids and eating breakfast it went away. So in otherwords, it was a proper hangover.

I plan to repeat the experiment with vodka, once I find a place here that carries Grey Goose.

[rezaf]

I once got a very bad headache after drinking just 2 small bottles of tsingtao.