Bob drank half a bottle

[Bassim]

I am wondering if my sentence sounds natural.

Bob drank half a bottle of whisky, but alcohol failed to raise his spirits.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'd probably use "the alcohol" because you're referring specifically to the alcohol held in that half-bottle of whisky. Your version isn't wrong, though. I'd have to say that I doubt half a bottle of whisky would raise anyone's spirits. It's more likely to make them horribly throwing-up drunk.

Was the use of "spirits" within a sentence about alcohol an intentional (sort of) pun?

 

[Bassim]

Regarding an amount of alcohol to get drunk, it depends often about the weight of a person. For example it is not the same for someone who weighs 60 kg and someone who weighs 120 kg. I have seen overweight men and women who drink two bottles of wine and still they are clear in their heads.

The pun was unintentional, and I noticed it first when I wrote the sentence and read it a few times afterwards.

 

[probus]

It sounds perfectly natural to me. I have no preference between "alcohol" and "the alcohol".

 

[Rover_KE]

FUN FACT: Only if it's made in Scotland is it called whisky; if it comes from anywhere else it's whiskey.

 

[Tdol]

I have no preference between "alcohol" and "the alcohol".

I'd use the alcohol as it's specific.