Liquors Least Likely to Cause a Hangover, if any

The festive weekend is here, and it’s time to set the ball rolling for that long-planned get-together. Festive seasons in India are the most wonderful times, apart from the cumulative hangovers, which can be annoying. Unless you are planning to be admirably disciplined this festive season, it’s unlikely you can steer clear of a hangover entirely. But there are ways you can temper down the risk of total intoxication, and naturally, a lot will depend on what you drink.

Watch what you are drinking

All kinds of liquor contain congeners which are toxic byproducts of the fermenting process. Alcoholic drinks with higher levels of congeners are known to cause frequent and intense hangovers as the body struggles to break them down.

Some congeners are pleasant in taste, so distillers also exercise some control over their presence in your drinks. This is achieved by heating the still, causing some congeners to evaporate while others stay or through distillation.

Let’s now have a look at some of our favorite drinks and the probability that they will leave you with a pounding head.

Vodka – The Russian drink has almost no congeners. Vodka is distilled to remove all impurities to achieve its neutral flavor. So, a bottle of Absolut Vodka is perhaps the safest bet for mixing cocktails and doing shots. Ideally, vodka mixes well with soda or fruit juice instead of sugary soft drinks. Apart from vodka, clear spirits in general, such as light rum, gin and sake are low in congeners.

Whisky – Congeners are purposely left in darker spirits for adding depth and color. Methanol is one particular congener found in whisky and bourbon which can linger in the system and cause a hangover. However, you can opt for Irish whiskeys like Jameson for party consumption. Irish whiskeys are distilled three times and taste lighter than double distilled Scotch whiskies.

Champagne – Along with other carbonated alcoholic drinks, Champagnes can cause a killer hangover. Carbon dioxide in these beverages helps the body in absorbing the alcohol faster, hence leading to higher blood alcohol levels.

Wine – The darker a wine, the more congeners it has. Some people may also react badly to the histamines, preservatives and colorings present in red wine. If your body cannot handle them, wines can cause a bad hangover.

What about cocktails?

While cocktails dilute the amount of alcohol you are consuming, there’s another downside to them. A fruity, sugary cocktail can be too darn tasty, and you may lose track of how much you have had. Apart from that, cocktails don’t have any effect on intoxication levels or hangovers for that matter.

In conclusion, if you wish to avoid a debilitating hangover after the celebrations, stick with congener free spirits. Or, if you are a whisky lover like us, drink slowly, stay hydrated, eat a good meal and get enough rest. It will keep the hangover at bay, no matter what you’re drinking.