Can you get drunk on tea? It may sound ridiculous to even suggest it, but there are some people who believe that it’s possible…kind of. Tea drunkenness is not exactly the same thing as getting smashed on the real stuff but it can leave you in a more or less altered state.

Perhaps the easiest way to get drunk on tea – truly drunk, that is – is to sample one of a growing number of products that combine tea with alcohol. If you choose to do so you can try out several tea flavored vodkas, some tea liqueurs, tea beer and even a tea-flavored malt beverage. For more on this topic, check out my earlier post, Tea and Spirits.

But can you really get drunk on tea? If we consider that the dictionary definition of drunk is “being in a temporary state in which one’s physical and mental faculties are impaired by an excess of alcoholic drink” then tea (aside from the ones mentioned above) won’t cut it.

But, semantics aside, there are a number of tea drinkers who insist that over imbibing in the pleasures of the leaf can make you a bit loopy. As is the case with alcohol, you’ll have to over imbibe a bit. Even then it’s not likely that you’ll experience quite the same feelings as when you’re truly drunk but if you get to this point it’s still probably not a good idea to drink (tea) and drive.

There are no studies that I’m aware of that would explain what could make us get drunk on tea, but a good bet might be that it has something to do with the caffeine tea contains and/or the theanine. For more on what theanine is and what it does to tea drinkers, check out Tea and Theanine, a post of mine from last year.

For more thoughts on the peculiar state of mind known as tea drunkenness take a look at what Adam had to say on the topic a while back at The Sip Tip. Even more on this notion in an older post at the Tea Obsession blog. As for whether or not tea might be able to help dull the pain of a hangover – a few thoughts here.

Don’t forget to check out William’s blog, Tea Guy Speaks!