Is it true that … drinking alcohol warms you up?

A hot toddy might make you feel toasty, but drinking in cold conditions can be risky Hot toddies, red wine, a dram of whisky: alcohol has long been a go-to remedy for keeping warm. But while a drink might make you feel warmer, does it actually help?

“There’s a perception of warmth, but in reality, it doesn’t occur,” says Winston Morgan, professor of toxicology, equity and inclusive practice at the University of East London. Alcohol affects the body’s temperature-regulating system. Our core body temperature is controlled by the hypothalamus, a region of the brain that helps regulate how we respond to changes in temperature. When we get too hot, blood vessels near the surface of the skin widen,…