5 New York Bartenders Share Their Best Hangover Cures
No one understands hangovers better than those who spend their working lives among an endless supply of booze. While you’re probably aware of the general go-to hangover remedies — a Bloody Mary; Gatorade; a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich — what can the experts tell us? Their suggestions stray from the usual coconut water and breakfast burrito.
Chances are good you haven’t heard of these traditional Dominican cures or the stomach-settling power of Fernet Branca, so here are five professional drinkers on how they recover from a night that left them feeling awful the next day.
1. Warren Bayani, Bartender, Chao Chao
“Pho! My friends and I always go and grab a big bowl of pho the next day after a long night of drinking. Hot and spicy broth, rice noodles, fresh herbs, and meat! Sixty percent of the time, works all the time (quote from Anchorman).”
2. Taylor Rae, Bartender, Extra Fancy
“Water, always — this goes without saying. I also feel like one of best things to do is order a milkshake and some sort of sandwich. Then take a warm shower, leaving you enough time to wrap a towel around you to answer the door for the food order.”
3. Logan Ronkainen, Owner, Punch & Pie
“Brosé: sparkling wine and fresh ruby red or pink grapefruit juice. It’s basically a grapefruit mimosa, but the juice must be fresh juice or I go sober and suffer through. It’s low alcohol, not too sweet, and has some vitamins to make me feel good about myself.”
4. Olivia Hu, Bartender, Sunrise/Sunset
“I make a variation of the Corpse Reviver series of drinks, with Fernet. It’s similar to a Boulevardier. Fernet functions as the stomach-soothing component, and yellow Chartreuse lends an herbal quality to the flavor profile. And, of course, rye whiskey is the main ‘hair of the dog’ aspect that is classic to the Corpse Reviver series.”
5. Jairo Taveras, Bartender, The Honeywell
“My favorite hangover cure is a remedy my mom made me back when we took vacations in my early 20s to the Dominican Republic, when I officially got introduced to our native libation called mamajuana. Worked like a charm — within half an hour, I was back on the horse. I asked her about this concoction and she simply said her mother passed it down to her when my grandad had a few too many.”
What’s your best hangover cure? Let us know in the comments.