We’ve all been there.

It’s been a long week, but there’s a party at the end of the tunnel, and the only way you’re going to get your vibe up is by throwing back a couple of vodka energy drinks.

You know, because an increased risk of injury and heart palpitations aren’t really the first thing on your mind when you’re trying to let loose and unwind.

The risks of mixing alcohol and energy drinks are pretty much common knowledge by this point. Until recently, though, it was assumed that it was the caffeine in energy drinks that caused the problem.

However, a new study, published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, has found that it’s not the caffeine that’s the problem. It’s another key ingredient in most energy drinks that reacts badly with alcohol, reports Inverse.

This new study looked at how adding taurine to alcohol affected the behaviors already known to be affected by drunkenness: sociability, aggressiveness, and memory.

Using levels of taurine and alcohol equivalent to those that would make a human moderately intoxicated, the team got a quarter of the 192 zebrafish in their study drunk.

Compared to the fish in the alcohol-only and water-only conditions, the fish that got drunk on taurine and alcohol generally had fewer interactions with other individuals and were more willing to risk exposing themselves to the predator fish.

In other words, the taurine-and-alcohol combo made them worse at communicating socially and more aggressive than they would have been if they were drunk on alcohol alone.

Gives a whole new meaning to “drinks like a fish”. Also, taurine is the reason that your reasonable friend goes ‘Incredible Hulk’ after one too many.

It’s the taurine. Mystery solved.

“Like anything, if taken in moderation it is unlikely that people will notice huge effects,” he says. “However, if you mix energy drinks with alcohol, you should be aware that this might reduce your ability to make sensible decisions in social situations and may reduce your inhibitions, a mixture that could prove volatile in some instances.”

The good news is that not all energy drinks contain taurine, so you don’t have to give up on your favourite mixer just yet.

The energy in 28 Black comes from natural arabica coffee and natural raw sugar, which means that it is taurine-free. It’s also vegan-friendly, gluten and lactose-free, and contains no artificial preservatives.

There are no downsides here, and you can preach from your moral high horse.

Also, did you know that taurine is the reason that all energy drinks taste the same? This means that no taurine means more variety, with flavours like Açai Berries, Açai Berries Zero (which has zero sugar and calories), and Pink Grapefruit-Mint.

Party smart so that you can party hard.

Nobody likes an aggressive zebrafish.

[source:inverse]