While a 5% 12oz beer has the same alcohol content as a 1.5oz shot of 40% liquor (such as vodka or tequila), the additional water in beer and time it takes to finish a beer probably results in slightly less intoxication over time, as you can do far more shots in the same time it takes to finish a beer. Also, I was under the impression that shots are generally closer to 1oz, and beer is often less than 5% alcohol.

I would suggest (strictly on observational evidence) that people are more loose with taking many shots of tequila (vs. vodka, a similar proof alcohol that is sometimes done as a shot). I also find that Tequila shots are more commonly drunk by wilder and more party-minded people.

This could all combine to produce the result that Tequila appears to cause a greater “chaos” than other alcohols. Certainly you’d need to take a lot more beer than Tequila to ingest the same amount of alcohol