One more mulled wine with the neighbours? Go on then. Another eggnog top-up? Well, it is the holidays after all. The festive party season provides plenty of opportunities to over-indulge, alcohol-wise.
But there’s a serious downside to the nation’s merry-making. One too many and the new year starts less with a bang than a whimper. There’s the crashing headache, the mouth like the bottom of a hamster’s cage, the dog-tired eyes and aching bones. And that’s just for starters.
So what’s the best way to cure a hangover? Or perhaps avoid them in the first place? We asked some of the best-placed people in the bar business for their top tips . . .
One too many and the new year starts less with a bang than a whimper
RAW IS MORE
Sheila Hulme is the creative chef at Lime Wood Hotel’s spa restaurant Raw & Cured. Sheila says the secret to combating a hangover lies in nutrition.
‘Coconut water is one of the fastest ways to restore your electrolyte balance. It also contains potassium, which can help reduce nausea. Drinking this alone will help you rehydrate and ease the dreaded headache.
‘Also, bananas! They contain potassium and help to reduce acids in the stomach. And importantly, if you’re feeling a little delicate, they’re easy to digest. Ginger helps with queasiness, too.’
Coconut water is one of the fastest ways to restore your electrolyte balance
A TOAST TO CHEESE TOASTIES!
Benoit Provost is the Director of The American Bar at The Stafford hotel in London’s St James’s. He suggests a bit of fatty food like a cheese toastie at the end of the evening.
‘The fat will protect your stomach and it helps to slow down the absorption of alcohol in the body,’ he says. ‘Drink a lot of water before going to bed.
‘The next morning, have bacon and eggs for breakfast. The eggs are miraculous; they contain an amino acid that helps break down ethanal, a toxin produced by the oxidation of ethanol (alcohol).
‘A bottle of Lucozade paired with a banana works wonders, the banana settling your stomach while the energy drink provides vitamins and potassium.’
If eaten at the end of the night the fat will protect your stomach and it helps to slow down the absorption of alcohol
FIERY AND TANGY
Liam Davy is the Head of Bars at Hawksmoor steakhouses, serving cocktails in London, Manchester and Liverpool.
‘The best hangover cure going is sleep, as much of it as is humanly possible. Ideally, wake up in the morning, have some rehydration salts like Dioralyte and then try to get an extra two hours’ sleep,’ he says.
What about food? ‘This should be little and often. Trying to take down a whole English breakfast or a roast dinner with a monster hangover is going to leave you feeling sick and remorseful.’ And what about hair of the dog? ‘It does work but make it something easy going. Tea is a must. (Coffee can make you edgy). If you want to try something a bit different, Mother Root (motherroot.london) is a delicious ginger drinking vinegar made in South London. It’s fiery and tangy and tastes great mixed with soda. A delicious, wholesome cure-all.’
Mother Root (motherroot.london) is a ginger drinking vinegar made in South London
BLOODY MARY…
Tim Batchelor is Group Bar Manager for boutique Pig Hotels across the UK. He preaches a no-nonsense practical approach.
Tequila can be used in place of vodka for a dirty mary
‘don’t drink on an empty stomach — any food helps. Have a glass of water before bed and don’t mix drinks. Instead, find what works for you and stick to it,’ he says. ‘The morning after, don’t spend the day in bed.
‘Get up early, have some food and drink then go back to bed for an hour or so.
‘A proper Bloody Mary helps, but if you can’t face booze, go for ginger beer.’
… AND DIRTY MARY
Mustafa Tumburi is Head Bartender at Fortnum & Mason’s restaurant. Tumburi backs the Bloody Mary school.
‘The winning combination of tomato juice to settle the stomach, salt to replace electrolytes and alcohol to numb aches and pains is definitely the answer,’ he says. But he also suggests an ingenious twist. ‘Our Dirty Mary (tequila, dirty spice mix, citrus, bacon salt, cornichon and tomato juice) uses tequila in place of vodka, and is a firm favourite for guests nursing a weary head.’
OYSTERS, ANYONE?
They may not seem like the most appetising thing on a hangover but tucking into seafood can help replace lost minerals in your system
Will Meredith runs the award-winning Lyaness, a cocktail bar on London’s South Bank. He says there’s no magical cure but you can minimise hangovers.
‘drink a glass of water per drink. Stay away from shots. ‘These little concentrated architects of pain are so unnecessary,’ he argues. He also warns against drinking sugary mixers ‘because fructose sugars put a big strain on your liver, as does booze’.
The next day he suggests tucking into seafood to help replace lost minerals in your system. ‘It may sound less appealing than a fry-up, but trust me, oysters, ceviche and sushi all help.’
FLIPPING PANCAKES!
Stick to pancakes, not greasy fry-ups and be sure to drink a pint of water before bed
Osvaldo Bellomusto is the Bar Operations Manager for San Carlo restaurants across the UK. He says choose drinks wisely in the first place.
‘Stick to colourless drinks — vodka or gin — as they contain far fewer toxins that cause hangovers. Drink a pint of water before bed, and for breakfast, stick to pancakes, not greasy fry-ups, and you’ll be back on form in no time.’
DEFEAT THE KILLERS
Liam Anderson lives in London and is the former manager of members’ club The Groucho in Soho.
‘Hangovers are inevitable in my line of work. I try to stick to one white spirit with no-sugar mixers to avoid the worst,’ he says. But experience has taught him how to deal with those killer hangovers. ‘
‘A shot of vodka followed by crushed raw garlic mixed with a whole milk chaser will always do the trick.’
Just the one shot will do, he warns, you don’t start a whole new binge!