Why is alcohol is absorbed by the body much faster than food?

Alcohol is a much smaller molecule than most foods and as a result does not require breakdown via enzymes to be absorbed in the gut. As a result it is absorbed quicker.

Due to liquidy nature of alcohol, it enters the stomach immediately after entering the buccal cavity. Once it reaches stomach, 20 % of alcohol is instantly absorbed in stomach-- specially when there is no food present in the stomach. After that, it would immediately move into small intestine where it would find an immense surface area for it's absorption. From small intestine 80 % of alcohol is rapidly absorbed into blood.