Calabrese Hangover Cures
Researchers have been in search of a cure for the hangover since wine-drinking began in Persia around 5,000 BC. Who would have thought that over so many centuries we would not have found a cure!
However, there are several remedies that can make the day after the night before pass in a less painful way. Look for the heading Prevention, too, because yu can take steps to prevent the body going into a hung-over state.
Physical symptoms of a hangover include headache, nausea, thirst, fatigue and sickness, plus an increased sensitivity to light and sound, bloodshot eyes, muscle aches, vomiting and sleep disturbance. Are you nodding “Yes” to those symptoms? Read on . . .
Your blood pressure can also be raised, a rapid heartbeat, a tremor in the body, and sweating might also be developed. You might feel dizzy, the room might feel like it is spinning, and believe it or not you might feel depressed, anxious and irritable.
The body can absorb about one ounce of 40% alcohol by volume (abv) per hour. If your body takes more than one ounce an hour the brain’s motor facilities are upset (via an attack on the neurons), speech becomes slurred and muscle control is loosened. The more alcohol you drink, the worse it becomes. You can fall into a drunken stupor and, if you drink far too much, a coma.
So how to make yourself feel better?
Prevention
Before going out to drink, eat. Carbohydrates and fats are best for slowing the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream.
Eat sugary foods, too. Alcohol breaks down sugar in the liver and that needs to be replaced.
Milk coats the lining of your stomach. Some people recommend a spoon of olive oil, too, which leaves a coating on your stomach.
And drink water before you go out, and in between drinks (if you remember!). Leave a bottle beside the bed for when you return from a night’s drinking.
Recipes to aid recovery
It is a myth that you will feel better if you drink more of the same alcohol you drank the night before. However, a moderate approach to drinking some alcohol combined with something else will help restore the body’s equilibrium.
For instance if you were drinking champagne, then a Buck’s Fizz at breakfast might help. The vitamins in the fresh orange juice are good for you. Similarly, downing a Bloody Mary cocktail, a favourite of millions of hangover sufferers, adds the benefits of the vitamin C and potassium found in tomatoes.
 |
Italian ingredients Punt e Mes and Fernet Branca combine with a creamy mint flavour to calm the stomach. 3cl Fernet Branca Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice. Stir well. Strain into a cocktail glass. |
|
A classic combination that’s very good to drink during the festive season. 3cl brandy Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Grate fresh nutmeg over the top. |
|
A cracking combination of herbs designed to wake up the system. It is a good way to start the day; if you don’t feel up to eating breakfast, this will fill you up. The fresh ingredients, such as the tomato and herbs, will give you the vitamins you need to restore the spirit. 3cl vodka Pour all ingredients into a blender without ice. Blend until smooth. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Garnish with a cherry tomato and basil leaves on a cocktail stick, placed across the top of the glass. |
|
1/2 champagne flute chilled Guiness Combine both ingredients in a highball. Sip slowly. |
|
This is one of the cocktails I created for a friend. It worked. He felt better. The Fernet Branca deals with the stomach; the remaining ingredients get together and generally help the malaise in the body. The combination will either cure you, or finish you off. 3cl vodka Fill a highball with ice cues. Pour the vodka and sherry over the ice first, add the tomato and lime juice, then the celery salt and Worcestershire sauce. Stir. Float the Fernet Branca on top. |
|
A classic cocktail created to make you feel much better. 3cl vodka Fill a highball with ice-cubes, then add the tomato and lemon juices. Add the vodka. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Add a quick twist of black pepper. Garnish with a wedge of lime on the rim. The celery stalk is optional. |
|
The combination of the earthiness of the bourbon and the fresh mint, combined with the aroma of Branca Menthe, makes this cocktail a sure-fire solution to a hangover. It’s especially good for bourbon-lovers who indulged themselves the night before. This wakes up the system, helps digestion, and the citrus-mint flavour cleanses your mouth, leaving it fresh and kissable. 3cl bourbon Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint. |
|
I created this cocktail for the 1993 Bartender of the Year Competition, which I won. The juices are full of vitamins, and the bitter lemon is refreshing. Limoncello, from Italy’s Amalfi Coast, adds sunshine to your spirits. 2cl vodka Shake all ingredients, except bitter lemon, with ice. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Top up with bitter lemon. Stir. Garnish with five raspberries and a sprig of mint, plus a twist of orange on the rim. Serve with a stirrer and a straw. |
|
This is the concoction my mother used to make when she saw I needed revitalizing, and it was my first encounter with a hangover cure. I remember the sensation of many layers of flavours hitting my mouth, ranging from the sharpness of lemon juice, the sweetness of Marsala, the spice of chilli, and the egg that binds it together. 1 free-range egg yolk Separate the egg yolk from the white and discard the latter. Place the yolk, without breaking it, into a small glass. Add the ground chilli, the lemon juice, then the Marsala. Don’t stir it. Drink it all in one gulp. Serve with a freshly made zabaglione to follow! |
For more interesting information and recipes, try the book!
'How to Cure a Hangover' by Salvatore Calabrese.
Calabrese Cocktails »
A bartender lives on through his cocktails. In the Maestro's case, the legacy includes some unique combinations of flavours, such as his surprising Spicy Fifty and Breakfast Martini.
Cognac »
Salvatore Calabrese has a passion for Cognac. In particular, the vintage Cognacs in the historic, dust-covered bottles that only get to see the light of night when the moment calls for a very special occasion. What is so tantalizing about liquid history in a glass?