German scientists won the 2025 Ig Nobel Prize for this discovery. The award is given annually for research that "first makes you laugh, then makes you think," several weeks before Nobel Prize winners are announced.
The experiment involved 50 Germans learning the Dutch language. Some were given vodka to reach a 0.4 per mille blood alcohol level, others got water. They then spoke Dutch for two minutes; their speech was recorded and evaluated by native speakers.
Observers rated the speech of those who drank alcohol at 61.53 points out of 100 across various criteria, while sober participants scored only 56.65.
However, scientists are not convinced that drinking more would intensify the effect.
"It's not like people were transformed into perfect Dutch speakers after a single drink," says Prof Matt Field, who worked on the study.
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