Two Kinds of Situations of Violating the Alcohol Precept

Original text of Section Five of the Upāsaka Five Precepts Sūtra：佛种种呵责饮酒过失已。告诸比丘。优婆塞不得饮酒者。有二种。谷酒木酒。木酒者。或用根茎叶花果。用种种子。诸药草杂作酒。酒色酒香酒味。饮能醉人。是名为酒。若优婆塞尝咽者。亦名为饮犯罪。若饮谷酒。咽咽犯罪。若饮酢酒。随咽咽犯。若饮甜酒。随咽咽犯。若啖麹能醉者。随咽咽犯。若啖酒糟。随咽咽犯。若饮酒淀。随咽咽犯。若饮似酒色酒香酒味。能令人醉者。随咽咽犯。若但作酒色。无酒香无酒味。不能醉人及余。饮皆不犯。

Explanation: After the Buddha rebuked the faults of drinking alcohol with various words, He told the bhikṣus: There are two kinds of alcohol that upāsakas must not drink: one is grain-brewed alcohol, and the other is wood alcohol. Wood alcohol is alcohol brewed from the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, or fruits of vegetation, or brewed from seeds, various medicinal herbs, and weeds; it has the color, aroma, and taste of alcohol, and drinking it can intoxicate people—this is called alcohol. If an upāsaka tastes it and swallows it into the esophagus, he commits the offense of drinking alcohol. If he drinks grain alcohol, each swallow into the throat constitutes an offense; if he drinks vinegar-alcohol, each swallow down the throat constitutes an offense; if he drinks sweet alcohol, each swallow down the throat constitutes an offense; if he consumes wine yeast (the raw material for brewing alcohol) that can intoxicate, each swallow down the throat constitutes an offense; if he consumes wine lees, each swallow down the throat constitutes an offense; if he drinks alcohol dregs, each swallow down the throat constitutes an offense; if he drinks something resembling alcohol in color, aroma, and taste that can intoxicate people, each swallow down the throat constitutes an offense; if it merely has the color of alcohol, without the aroma or taste of alcohol, cannot intoxicate people, and has no other side effects, then consuming it involves no offense at all.