If your screen had a bit more glare this morning and your productivity was down for no good reason, you might want to think about some cures for your hangover.
"Hangovers are sort of like opinions. Every drinker ends up having one
at some point, and nearly everyone feels the need to share its story," wrote Jason Wilson -- the spirits writer for The Washington Post.
Sadly, Wilson's litany of options is similar in scope and actual effectiveness to hiccups solutions -- most are not successful and require you to act in a foolish manner. But when John Henry is pounding twin railroad spikes behind your eyes and that cold, alcoholic sweat is leaking from your pores, you'll try anything.
The history of drinking is long, which is why the history of hangover is likely just a day shorter. Spirits writer John Myers looks at all of the components of a hangover in relation to our sensitivity to light and feelings of shame and has a litany of traditional alcoholic solutions: the bullshot, the Boston Flip, the Red Eye, the Bloody Swedish Blonde and the Black Velvet. Of those, I've only had the Red Eye (1/2 beer, 1/2 tomato juice) and the Black Velvet (champagne and Guinness). The former was difficult to slug down, while the latter was too easy to drink and not particularly restorative.
When it comes to urban legends, I've heard of two distinct ways to cure a hangover. The first seems more moderate, the second would be unbelievable if not for the depths to which bachelor parties can sink. Pedialyte -- the rehydrating drink for children suffering from intestinal distress -- is touted as a potential hangover cure. The second, more extreme medical cure, involves a male nurse who hooked friends up to an intravenous drip to rehydrate them after a wild night in Las Vegas.
You can also order ResQWater online -- it's a clear beverage with vitamins and fructose packed into prickly pear juice. This purported hangover cure from a company based out of Arizona is $14 for four, 6 oz. bottles. This may fall into the category of things to try on the next hangover, not that you'll ever drink again.
My suggestion is simple. Grab an egg-and-cheese sandwich from a diner or coffee shop. Rotate through a collection of four non-alcoholic drinks: water, Coke, Gatorade and coffee. Drink one until your stomach roils, then switch -- alternating between caffeine and hydration. Grab a bag of Cheetos on the way home from work and then fall asleep on your couch with the aid of your bad movie genre of choice.
[Image via Flickr: tm_love]
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the very best hangover cure, hands down, no contest, is a great big snort of smack. After you ride the white horse you aint gonna be concerned with no damn hangover.
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