Historically, clear liquor has been the liquor for me. Vodka, gin, tequila, yes. It always seemed purer to me, which I know sounds ridiculous considering the body recognizes most alcohol as poison. It’s true, though, that brown liquor contains more methanol than clear liquor. Methanol—which, as evident from my two-second research, breaks down into formaldehyde and formic acid—tends to make a hangover worse. So, in a sense, clear liquor is purer, depending on your standard.

Lately, though, I order Old Fashioneds. I order Manhattans. I find myself reaching for Bulleit bourbon from my brass bar cart more often than my trusty Hendrick’s gin. There’s an edge to it that I like, a little twist that doesn’t appear on the resumé of my clear beloved friends.

It could also just be that I’m so accustomed to clear liquors that they no longer have the desired effect. It could totally just be that.