Ethanol can lower the temperature at which the capsaicin receptor is activated, which has been suggested to be the reason why a shot of alcohol burns. It may also be why spicy food can taste spicier if you're drinking warm booze, and why that chilled drink is so satisfying. Ethanol has other peculiar properties: after ethanol has been applied to the tongue, your mouth hurts more easily, perhaps because of the connection between this receptor and pain perception.