We were on our way to Newark with a chatty driver, and the inevitable question came up: “So, what do you do?” We explained that we are drinks historians, writers, and work in distilleries. Yes, we really drink for a living. Seriously. Bad hangovers? No. Then the driver asked,“What’s your secret? I’m a whisky drinker, and I get the worst hangovers every time I drink.” It’s simple: a large glass of water between each drink. He stared at me in the rear view mirror long enough that I was nervously watching us drift toward the white line. Then he said, “How the heck am I supposed to get through 16 large glasses of water in a night?”

I was going to post this yesterday, but somehow the night before I neglected to squeeze in 8-10 large glasses of water. But that wasn't my only error. I know exactly how I got my hangover. I make the same mistake every New Year’s Eve. Being partial to cocktails, I stick to cocktails. Then, at dinner someone inevitably starts pouring red wine. As midnight arrives, I saber open a few bottles of Champagne and I rediscover my weakness for bubbly. There have been a bunch of articles over the last few weeks about vodka giving the lightest hangover based on its low level of congeners. Wine is riddled with them, especially red wine. And what happens? The spirits and wine combine in your system to equal the congener levels of a hardcore whisky. Did I say whisky? Make that cheap brandy. 

The cure? Time of course. In the meantime, we're partial to multivitamins, rehydration, and dim sum.