Switching from beer to mixed vodka – a slippery slope?

I love beer in the right setting, but as a daily drink it is feeling too heavy with meals and I worry about the weight gain. I recently switched to vodka sodas and it’s good, but I’m realizing it’s almost a different kind of “high” I’m getting from vodka; it hits me a little faster and harder, even in what I’m thinking are relatively similarly amounts; 1 shot to one beer. Just want to know if this is a smart switch or if this leads to worsening alcoholism.