Alcohol is a depressant of your central nervous system (CNS). That means it has a slowing effect on your brain. Because of this, the neurons in your brain fire off nerve impulses more slowly. This can lead to things like the impaired judgment or coordination that's associated with drunkenness.

Why does drinking alcohol make you drunk?

“Once you start consuming alcohol, your liver begins breaking it down. An enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase is responsible for breaking down alcohol to acetaldehyde and that is then further broken down to acetic acid,” notes Dr. Krel. “Getting drunk occurs when you consume alcohol faster than you can break it down.”

Why does being drunk feel so good?

That aspect seems to stem from the fact that alcohol increases activity in the dopamine neurons in the mesolimbic reward pathway, as well as opioid cells that release endorphins. Both produce feelings of joy, pleasure, euphoria, depending on the type of activation. That's why drinking can be so pleasurable.