We’ve all experienced it in one way or another, that night you drink something other than what you normally do and wake up with a raging hangover. You find yourself in bed thinking how did this happen? I didn’t drink any more than I normally do! As it turns out, there is a scientific reason–some types of drinks are more likely to give you a hangover than others! Let’s take a look at what drinks are going to leave you with a nasty hangover, and which ones won’t.
Beer
Beer is the least likely to give you a nasty hangover. Most beers tend to have a fairly low alcohol content (between 3-6%) and also contains cereals and yeast The cereals and yeast actually work to slow down the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream. Beer also contains more water than most types of alcohol, which causes you to become full more quickly. If you know you’re going to be drinking a lot, beer is usually a good way to go.
Vodka
Vodka is one of the drinks that is least likely to cause a hangover, but, according to many studies, is the alcohol that has the highest connection to binge-drinking deaths. That’s because it’s virtually tasteless with the right mixer and has an ABV of about 40%. However, Vodka contains no byproducts made during fermentation, making it one of the purest types of alcohol available. That means, that when consumed in appropriate quantities, you are very unlikely to get a hangover! This is true of most clear alcohols like Vodka and Gin.
White Wine
White wine tends to be at least 11% alcohol, which automatically makes it more dangerous than beer. However, the real secret behind the notorious white wine hangover is how the wine affects your stomach. White wine actually causes your stomach to secrete more acid, which irritates the lining of your stomach and causes you to feel nauseous. Excessive white wine consumption can most certainly lead to a truly legendary hangover.
Red Wine
Red wine tends to have an ABV of 12-14%, a bit more than that of white wine. Not only that, but red wine creates methanol when it ferments, which is difficult for the body to breakdown. When you drink red wine your liver has to process the ethanol in the alcohol first, then it has to process the methanol as well. This means that it takes your liver longer to break down the byproducts of red wine, which means you’ll be suffering longer as well. Red wine hangover are notorious, and for good reason.
Brandy
Brandy is known as the alcohol that is most likely to give you a horrific hangover. It’s made out of distilled red wine, which means it gives your body all the same problems that red wine does but with a 40% ABV. The older the brandy, the greater the damage it inflicts. If you are going to drink brandy, be sure to do it in small amounts and clear your schedule for the following morning.
Whiskey & Bourbon
Whiskey and bourbon are known for high amounts of alcohol (at least 40%) and takes a long time for your body to process. These effects are compounded by the fact that this drink is most often consumed neat, so it’s not watered down by anything else. Other than brandy, a whiskey or bourbon drink is the most likely to leave you with a sore head the next morning.
In short, yes you can mitigate your hangover by consuming certain types of alcohol. However, it is important to remember, if you drink enough of anything you will get a hangover. If you do consumer more than you should (we’ve all been there) remember to drink lots of water, and use Intelligent Drinking’s Primer product to recover even more quickly! Learn more about Primer here: www.intelligentdrinking.com.