I think it is the bitterness. I cook with beer too, in rice, beef stews, Welsh rarebit...I make a drink called a Michalada, basically a Mexican Bloody Mary with Beer, not even 12 ounces, not that spicy, but spicy enough for me. It also helps cut the mucus too. and would opt that instead of soda. HPV is a different cause that tobacco, alcohol related, so the risk may not be the same, and would have to be excessive, like 16+ a week even if non HPV, but a magazine article, about a year ago, said even one drink raises your cancer risk, and there was a post, and discussion about this if you search. I'll take my risk with my occasional 6 ounces, but definitely I didn't drink during treatment, with certain medications. I was probably two years post treatment.