Cirrhosis is a chronic and serious condition that can develop with alcohol use. Your liver cells can harden and die which results in your liver shrinking and not able to function properly. When this happens, edema or swelling of legs, ankles and feet is a common sign. Another reason you may experience swelling is if you have an allergic reaction to what you are drinking. Some people can have an allergy to alcohol or the yeast that the beer is made from. Alcohol in itself causes your blood vessels to dilate. Because of this, arteries in your legs and legs can be affected by excessive swelling, which may also account for any swelling that you may experience during or after drinking beer.