After a week of alcohol related posts, I thought it appropriate to provide a recipe for when you’ve been having much too good a time with too much of a good thing. You know what I’m talking about here, right?
Yep, that’s right. Hangovers. Ugh.
I’d like to say that now that I’m older it never happens to me, but that would be a lie. I sometimes lose track and overindulge. Nothing horrible, mind you, but it has its impact, nonetheless.
I always enjoy hearing about what works for folks the morning after a night of revelry. Is it a sports drink and reality TV? Drive-through breakfast and Diet Coke? Bloody Marys with your ham and eggs? The raw egg in your Prairie Oyster drink? I also get a kick out of reading recipes for archaic methods like the classic “corpse reviver” cocktails that basically just prolong your inebriation, like a combination of brandy, applejack, and sweet vermouth.
What causes the pain of a hangover? Your body is suffering from dehydration and malnutrition. Alcohol saps your body of water and drains it of its supply of vitamins and nutrients.
My strategy is to avoid a hangover from the start. Yeah, I know that the obvious solution is to drink in moderation, but …well, you know. So, anyway, I find that trying to consume a lot of water helps me to stay hydrated. I drink water both before partaking of alcohol and during the consumption. I also try to eat, especially something with sugar. Dessert, anyone? This helps slow the absorption of alcohol in my body.
The next day I try to drink even more water, but I also find some bubbles (carbonation) can soothe my stomach. My mother swears by Lemon Schwepps. While I also enjoy the flavor of bitters and club soda, if I’m feeling ambitious or I have a sympathetic bartender, I try to go for a bit of Vitamin C, too. It goes great with breakfast tacos, which are a part of my favorite morning after meal.
Spicy Campari and Orange Juice
Makes 1 drink
1 ounce Campari (bitter orange liqueur)
2 ounces orange juice
1/2 oz chile pepper infused simple syrup (see below)
3 to 5 ounces of chilled club soda
Combine Campari, juice, and simple syrup in an ice-filled shaker. Shake well. Strain into an ice-filled glass. Top with club soda.
Sip slowly and take off those sunglasses.
Chile Pepper Infused Simple Syrup – Regular readers of this blog may have figured out by now that I always have some simple syrup on hand. It is indeed simple so there is no reason not to. In a small saucepan, combine equal parts water and sugar (1 cup is easy) over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. If you want to flavor your syrup, say with chile peppers or lemon or ginger, add the pieces now and let it simmer for just a minute.
Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool and the flavors infuse. Strain out the addition before using. It can be stored in a covered container in your refrigerator for a couple of weeks, so you can always have some on hand to flavor your cocktails.
