Alcohol promotes the release of endorphins -- proteins responsible for the feelings of pleasure and reward -- in the brain, according to research from the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center... "It provides the first direct evidence of how alcohol makes people feel good." ... the more endorphins released in the brain... the more pleasure the participants reported experiencing, researchers said... This finding suggests that heavy drinkers have brain changes that lead to increased feelings of pleasure from alcohol consumption, researchers said.