Sunday Brunches are the highlights of Spring. It’s when we get to hang with friends, chit-chat and the only excuse we have to drink early in the day.
However, when we start drinking so early, the potential for a same-day hangover is sure enough to happen if you don’t take the precautions necessary to avoid that mid-evening crash that comes with a liquid brunch.
Of course eating a hearty meal helps but that’s not enough. Drinking on an empty stomach will allow alcohol to absorb faster. Some research even shows a stomach full of food may help keep blood alcohol content at a lower level.
“Ernest Hemingway summed up the daytime drinking slump the best: Death in the Afternoon. Which, fittingly, became the name for his infamous cocktail of absinthe and champagne, and questionable hangover cure. “ (Men’s Health)
We don’t suggest having an Ernest Hemingway as your first brunch cocktail to escape that same-day hangover. Oddly, what’s in the glass is not the problem to a pre-mature hangover it’s the glass itself. Yes, that’s right. The type of glass your drink comes in is the problem.
A recent study from the University of Bristol finds that people who drink from a straight glass, instead of a curved one, sink each pint 1.2 minutes slower. Dr Angela Attwood, senior researcher on the study, said: “The speed at which beer is drunk can have a direct effect on the level of intoxication experienced. This can also increase how much is consumed in a single drinking session. While many people drink alcohol responsibly, it is not difficult to have ‘one too many’ and become intoxicated. (University of Bristol)
“Our research suggests that small changes such as glass shape and volume markings can help individuals make more accurate judgements of the volume they are drinking and hopefully drinkers will use this information to drink at a slower pace.”
Dehydration is the root of all evil and definitely the reason you should drink water in between your cocktails; matching each alcoholic drink with one glass of water to avoid that next-day pain. Drinking slower will prolong the inevitable and this trick will help you survive a day of drinking. This is a trick I learned a long time ago and it works.
Brunch for me is never complete unless I have a Bloody Mary. Starting off brunch with a Bloody Mary is also a trick. Don’t forget to eat the celery stick because both celery and tomatoes are made of 95 percent water, providing you that hydration spike before your first real cocktail of the day.
After that hydration spike, let the games begin. It’s the perfect time to switch to the type of alcohol you want to drink for the rest of the day. It’s never a wise idea to mix different alcohol types. Darker drinks like red wine or rum contain more congeners which may contribute to causing hangovers. Skip the whiskey in favor of vodka or a glass of white wine!
One last trick to ward off that same-day hangover is drink everything on the rocks. Let the ice cubes in your cocktail melt. You’ll stay hydrated as well keep a moderately distant amount of energy throughout the day.
