Generous intake of alcoholic drinks, especially beer and spirits, may increase the risk of developing gout in men.

​This study investigated the role of alcohol in the development of gout. Researchers tracked the alcohol intake of 47,150 male subjects and evaluated the relative risk of developing gout in each participant in this study. They found a higher incidence of gout among frequent consumers of alcoholic drinks, such as beer and spirits. However, moderate consumption of wine was found to have little or no effect on gout risk in this study. The results of this study show that regular drinking of alcohol may contribute positively to the development of gout in males.