At a cocktail party, do you feel alcohol’s effects after one or two drinks? Or can you toss them back without even feeling tipsy?

Your answer could be telling.

New research shows the more you need to imbibe to “catch a buzz,” the greater your chances are of becoming an alcoholic.

Researchers did a long-term study of nearly three-hundred men between the ages of 18 and 25, gauging their reaction to alcohol. They evaluated the men’s drinking after ten years, then at five-year intervals.

They found that the men who showed low sensitivity to alcohol at the start of the study were the most likely to suffer drinking problems later.

The researchers said the low response to alcohol appears to be a trait one is born with, and one that is independent of other influences on alcohol use, such as body mass index or the age a person first starts drinking.

The study appears online and will be published in the September issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

Researchers say they are looking for ways to identify those most at risk for alcohol problems and eventually, to decrease the risk.

Because alcoholism often runs in families, researchers say alcoholics should talk with their children about their drinking… and their added risk.

The child of an alcoholic who shows an ability to out-drink his or her peers could be headed down a dangerous road.

Being able to hold your liquor, it turns out, is no reason to celebrate.