Tuesday, April 27, 2010

How to Master a Hangover After a Party

When you plan parties and cater parties for as long as I have, you feel like you've been around the good old "party block" a few times and seen it all. Especially people tipsy or drunk who like to have a good time, kick up their heels, and party hardy.

Most people mind their manners pretty well when they're a guest. But, that doesn't happen all of the time. For some strange reason it seems like people most often "get wasted" at a wedding reception. Go figure.

So yes, at the end of a party or wedding reception held at a private residence I've helped carry people to bed.

I've held hair for women "praying to the porcelain god". And, I've called taxicabs for people who were made to acquiesce after someone stole their car keys so they wouldn't drive.

If you drink and have ever tipped the bottle too much at a party, you know how it goes. You know if you tell someone that you drank a little too much, have a headache, and feel kind of lousy - that you both know the deal. There's no getting around it. Nine times out of ten, you drank too much and you have a hangover.

Sometimes people will feel bad for you and make recommendations. Tell me if you've heard this... It's common for them to say, "Hair of the dog", which is a colloquial English expression mostly used to refer to alcohol consumed with the aim of lessening the effects of a hangover. (It is occasionally used with respect to dealing with the after effects of use of other recreational drugs. Man!)

"Hair of the dog" is a shortened form of the expression “the hair of the dog that bit you.”

The phrase "bite the dog that bit you" is also commonly used. "Hair off the dog's back" is another slightly different variation of the same term.

And of course, some people will tell you to be sure to take a couple of aspirin before you go to bed. All of that is good and well, however, this Master List will give you even more information to help you master a hangover after a fun party.

This information will help get you through having a little bit too much fun drinking. Otherwise put, having a little "too much party".

Poisin	Symptoms	Remedies
White wine	The sugar in some white wine triggers headaches and dehydration.	Rehydrate. Drink plenty of water the following day, all day. Take an ibuprofen for your headache.
Red wine	The tannins in red wine can give you sharp, migraine-type headaches.	Gatorade and aspirin should do the trick. The aspirin will sooth your headache and the Gatorade will help to replace the fluid you've lost around the brain. Yow!
Beer	The yeast and grains can lead to bloating and diarrhea.	Take Alka-Seltzer Plus - the carbonation can help rid nausea. The aspirin in it will help with the headache.
Dark liquors	They contain congeners, which are substances that can metabolize and cause intense nausea.	Lemonade made from real lemons and whiskey should do the trick. The lemon stimulates digestion. The whiskey decreases withdrawal symptoms. Or: See Red wine
Carbonated mixed drinks	Carbonation causes you to absorb the alcohol faster and increases the likelihood of dehydration.	See Red wine.