Have you ever wondered if a Caesar can really help cure a hangover?
Everyone loves a night out, but nobody enjoys the morning after. That’s one of the reasons (besides pure deliciousness) that Caesars are such a popular choice at brunch. But does Canada’s favourite cocktail really work to ease those awful hangover symptoms?
When you search for hangover cures online, you’re immediately going to find a ton of home remedies, many with a dubious pedigree. One of the earliest hangover cures was known as a “Prairie Oyster”—an egg with an unbroken yolk, tomato juice, worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and sometimes a shot of either vinegar or whiskey. (Oh boy, yum, yum… worth a try?)
Down south in the U.S. of A, the Bloody Mary is generally considered to be a hangover cure, but every Canadian knows that the Bloody Mary is just a pale shadow of our national drink, the Caesar! So, if a Bloody Mary is often used as a hangover cure, surely the Caesar would make for an even better one?
HAIR OF THE DOG
Probably the most popular hangover cure of all time, going back hundreds of years, is the “hair of the dog that bit you”. To put it another way, drinking a small amount of alcohol in the morning (the hair) can lessen the effects of a hangover caused by the alcohol you indulged in the night before (the dog).
Some researchers believe that a hangover is really just the first stage of alcohol withdrawal, so by reintroducing a relatively small amount of alcohol into your system, you can minimize your symptoms. In this way, the hair of the dog is a short-term hangover cure at best, but it can at least give you a small amount of relief—or more likely just delay your suffering.
Either way, drinking alcohol first thing in the morning isn’t something that we would ever suggest...
Well, not straight alcohol at least.
Hair of the Clam, maybe? Grit of the Clam? Wait, no, that sounds terrible…
The one thing that a Caesar has over most other “hair of the dog” hangover beverages is that it includes far more nutrients than your average cocktail. In the clamato juice, you’ll benefit from loads of vitamins, nutrients, and protein. The tomato helps to replenish your body’s hydration with electrolytes and is rich in antioxidants. Plus? When you consider that most Caesars also include lots of garnishes, such as celery, other vegetables, and (if you’re lucky) maybe even bacon, you basically end up with a cocktail that drinks more like a meal. When you drink a Caesar as a hangover cure, you’re not just getting the “hair of the dog”, you’re also getting a dose of nutrients and minerals that should help your body to recover from the previous night.
All of that said, and despite its reputation, a Caesar is more of an a hangover aid than it is a reliable “cure”. Yes, the alcohol can take the edge off, and the nutrients can help your body recover, but there are far more effective ways to manage hangovers than just drinking a few Caesars the morning after.
Real Hangover “Cures”
To be honest, the absolute best hangover cure is time. Your body will work through the hangover on its own, you just need to be patient. But when your head is ringing and the room is spinning, the last thing you want to do is wait.
The truth is that drinking to get rid of a hangover is a great idea. Drinking water, that is. When you’re hungover, there’s a very good chance that you’re also dehydrated. By replacing the fluid that you’ve lost the night before, you can help reduce your misery and speed up your recovery. If you really want to double down, you should blast your system with some extra electrolytes; coconut water is a healthy option, otherwise a sports drink can help.
One of the best hangover cures is the same cure that you’d use if you had a headache for any other reason: a painkiller. Taking an aspirin or an ibuprofen can really take the edge off your hangover headache, helping to speed up your recovery. That being said, avoid taking Tylenol, as its active ingredient, acetaminophen, can cause liver damage when taken with alcohol.
If you’re feeling nauseated, more alcohol probably doesn’t appeal to you at all anyway. To keep yourself from vomiting and becoming further dehydrated, taking a Gravol can really help knock out your queasiness—but just beware, it can knock you out, too. The active ingredient in Gravol (not just for motion sickness!) is dimenhydrinate and can be very sedating. If you don’t want to sleep all morning, you may be better off sipping on some ginger ale or taking some ginger tablets, as ginger is known to settle the stomach.
Another smart option is to sleep it off. Even an extra hour of sleep can help take the edge off a hangover. By the time you wake up, your body will have metabolized more of the alcohol, leaving you in a far better state.
Some More Myths
There are quite a few other popular “hangover cures” that either do nothing or make matters worse.
If you need to have a coffee in the morning, firing back a cup might actually help with the part of your headache that’s coming from caffeine withdrawal. However, a coffee can actually contribute to dehydration, so make sure you follow it up with a big glass of water.
A delicious, a big greasy breakfast is a popular method of reducing a hangover, but it probably works more through the process of distraction rather than actually providing your system with the nutrients it needs. If you’re hungry, have some healthier food that won’t give you heartburn on top of your hangover.
Some people suggest exercise as a potential hangover cure. Well, if you can put on your sweats and get out for a jog while you’re trying not to pass out, your hangovers are WAY better than ours! Our advice: Don’t exercise. Instead, rest up!
So, is a Caesar a hangover cure?
Although it does work better than most other “hair of the dog” remedies, there are far more effective ways to treat your hangover first thing in the morning. Before you mix up a Caesar, we suggest you grab a glass of water, take some painkillers, and have a healthy breakfast. Save your Caesars for a brunch date later in the day!
What are your favourite hangover cures? Does a Caesar fit prominently in your night-out recovery process? Share your thoughts below or visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!