Mixing Caffeine and Alcohol: What You Should Know

Espresso martinis, Irish coffee, rum and cola, vodka with an energy drink: caffeine and alcohol end up in the same glass more often than most people realize. So is mixing caffeine and alcohol safe? The short answer from US health agencies is that caffeine does not cancel out alcohol. It can make you feel more alert and less drunk than you are, which can lead you to drink more and take risks you otherwise would not. That is why the FDA stopped the sale of premixed caffeinated alcoholic drinks in the US in 2010.

This article explains what the research shows, how that applies to coffee cocktails and how to enjoy both more safely. It is written for adults of legal drinking age.

Key takeaways

• According to the CDC, caffeine does not reduce the effects of alcohol on your body.
• Caffeine can mask the feeling of being drunk. In a 2011 lab study, people who mixed alcohol with an energy drink felt more stimulated, but their alcohol-related impulsivity was just as high.
• People who mix alcohol with energy drinks are more likely to report binge drinking, injuries and riding with a driver who had been drinking.
• In November 2010 the FDA warned four companies that caffeine added to their alcoholic drinks was an unsafe additive; the drinks were reformulated.
• Coffee does not sober you up. Only time does.

In this article

1. Mixing caffeine and alcohol: what happens
2. What the research shows
3. The 2010 FDA crackdown
4. Myths vs facts
5. What about coffee cocktails?
6. How to drink more safely
7. FAQ

Mixing caffeine and alcohol: what happens

Alcohol is a depressant. It slows reaction time, impairs judgment and, as you drink more, makes you feel tired. Caffeine is a stimulant that blocks signals of tiredness in the brain.

Put them together and the stimulant can cover up one of alcohol’s natural warning signs: sleepiness. You may feel more energetic and less drunk, but your blood alcohol, coordination and decision-making are affected just the same. Health officials have described this state as being “wide-awake drunk.” The danger is not the caffeine itself so much as the false sense of control it can give, which may lead to drinking more, driving or taking other risks.

The CDC also lists other possible effects of combining them, including higher blood pressure, irregular heartbeat and dehydration.

What the research shows

Feeling less drunk is not the same as being less drunk

In a 2011 laboratory study published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, Cecile Marczinski and colleagues gave 56 adults aged 21 to 33 either alcohol, an energy drink, both, or a placebo. They measured how well participants could start and stop actions on a computer task, a measure of impulsive behavior, and asked how stimulated and impaired they felt.

The authors concluded the combination may be riskier than alcohol alone because people feel more stimulated while remaining just as impulsive.

Real-world patterns

According to the CDC, people who drink alcohol mixed with energy drinks are more likely to report binge drinking, unwanted or unprotected sex, injuries, alcohol-impaired driving and riding with a driver who had been drinking. Roughly one in five college students reported using alcohol mixed with energy drinks in the past year. These are associations: people who choose these drinks may already be more inclined to risk-taking, but the pattern is consistent enough for health agencies to warn against it.

The 2010 FDA crackdown

In the 2000s, premixed caffeinated alcoholic drinks became popular, often brightly colored, sweet, stronger than beer and heavily marketed to young people. One of the best known, Four Loko, contained 12% alcohol.

In November 2010 the FDA sent warning letters to four companies covering seven drinks, stating that the caffeine added to them was an unsafe food additive because the makers had not shown it was generally recognized as safe in alcoholic beverages. Several states had already banned the drinks. The producers removed the caffeine and other stimulants. Today, according to the CDC, the FDA does not allow US companies to sell caffeinated alcoholic drinks. The CDC notes that drinks mixed at home or in bars can carry similar risks.

Myths vs facts

What about coffee cocktails?

An espresso martini or an Irish coffee after dinner is not the same as a night of vodka and energy drinks. A single coffee cocktail usually contains one shot of espresso or a cup of coffee, and people tend to sip one rather than drink several in a row. But the same principle applies: the coffee will not reduce the alcohol’s effects, and several coffee cocktails over an evening add up in both alcohol and caffeine.

There is also sleep to consider: caffeine late in the evening can make it harder to fall asleep. Our guide to caffeine and sleep explains timing.

If you love the history and flavor of coffee cocktails, read the story of the espresso martini.

How to drink more safely

1. Count drinks, not feelings. Decide in advance how many alcoholic drinks you will have, and stick to that number however alert you feel.
2. Avoid alcohol with energy drinks. Health agencies specifically warn against this combination.
3. Keep coffee cocktails to one or two, and treat each as a full alcoholic drink.
4. Alternate with water and eat beforehand.
5. Never drive after drinking, whatever you have had with it. Plan a ride home.
6. Watch your daily caffeine. Most healthy adults should stay within 400 mg a day, according to the FDA and EFSA.
7. Skip both if they are not right for you: during pregnancy, if you take medication that interacts with either, or if you have a heart condition. Ask your doctor.

Alcohol-free ideas for coffee lovers

You can get the ritual and the flavor without the alcohol. Try an espresso tonic with a twist of orange, or a decaf version in the evening. Our Decaf Espresso is water-process decaf roasted dark, rich enough for an alcohol-free espresso martini shaken with ice and a little vanilla syrup. For a dessert-like cup with no added sugar, our Whiskey Barrel Aged coffee is Guatemalan coffee aged 30 days in bourbon barrels and roasted to order, with no alcohol in the final product.

Caffeine and alcohol FAQ

Is it bad to drink coffee after drinking alcohol?

Coffee will not sober you up or make it safe to drive. It may help you feel more awake, which can be misleading. Water, food and time are what you need.

Is an espresso martini dangerous?

One espresso martini is an alcoholic drink with a modest amount of caffeine. Treat it like any cocktail: count it, do not drive and avoid having many in a row.

Why were caffeinated alcoholic drinks banned in the US?

In 2010 the FDA concluded that caffeine added to those drinks was an unsafe additive, citing concerns that caffeine masks intoxication. Makers removed the caffeine.

Does caffeine make alcohol hit harder?

Caffeine does not reduce alcohol’s effects. The main risk is that you feel less drunk than you are and end up drinking more.

Sources

1. Alcohol and Caffeine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
2. Marczinski CA, Fillmore MT, Bardgett ME, Howard MA. Effects of energy drinks mixed with alcohol on behavioral control. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 2011 (summary via ScienceDaily).
3. FDA Warns Makers of Caffeinated Alcoholic Drinks, Claims Journal, 2010.
4. Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?, US Food and Drug Administration.

Facts checked in October 2026.

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or take medication, ask your doctor before changing your caffeine intake.

Keep reading: Does coffee sober you up? · How much caffeine is too much? · Our blends