so, vodka is a good example to use here. also good for cleaning wounds. anyway, vodka is just whatever is pulled off the still cut with water to bring it to proof. the rub is that the distillation process produces many alcohols and compounds that can impact flavor and also maim you and/or make you feel like garbage independent of whatever normal dehydration effects you feel. if the distiller runs long in an effort to gain more efficiency, they're going to pull in some crap with it. this is probably a regular occurrence in the outhouse where burnetts is made, but less of a worry at say the buffalo trace distillery the point being that yes, the quality of an alcoholic beverage absolutely can impact the effects you feel, particularly those you associate with intoxication. the price, of course, does not