“Vodka is known to be the best alcoholic beverage for the most minimal hangover. Gin, light rum and white wine are runner-ups—with brandy and whiskey being at the bottom of the list.
Congeners are found in larger amounts in dark liquors, such as brandy and bourbon, than in clear liquors, such as vodka and gin. Congeners are more likely to produce a hangover or increase the severity of a hangover. But drinking too much alcohol of any color can still make you feel bad the next morning.
Several strategies may help reduce the severity of hangovers. These include avoiding drinks high in congeners, drinking plenty of water, getting adequate sleep, and having a nutritious breakfast. But the best way to avoid a hangover is to drink in moderation or abstain completely.
Want to gain an edge over plain old water to treat your hangover? Consider reaching for Gatorade, Pedialyte, Powerade, or a similar nonfizzy sports drink. These drinks are packed with certain minerals called electrolytes — such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium — which help regulate fluid levels in the body.
But a study by the British Medical Journal found that vodka is actually the least likely drink to give you a hangover: it's so pure that it contains virtually no congeners. Mixing vodka with soda or fruit juice is ideal, as sugary soft drinks can contribute to a headache the morning after the night before. But go easy.
(It also found that liquors were more likely to cause hangovers than beer or wine, likely because liquor has higher alcohol concentrations.) Cheaper drinks are more likely to have more congeners, too.
Vodka hangovers have a reputation for being severe in part because of the low-quality brands and the high levels of impurities that they contain. Any type of alcohol can cause a hangover, but vodka hangovers are notoriously awful.
Pure tequila, as opposed to normal mixed tequilas, do not have as many congeners or sugars. Thus, minimal hangovers.
There's also something to say about sticking to gin and vodka. When Supercall spoke with food scientists, gin and vodka proved to be the best alcohol to avoid the 17 stages of a hangover because they lack other dehydration-causing additives.
keiskei juice, green grape juice, and pear juice may help to relieve hangover symptoms. A 2017 study also found that some beverages containing ginseng or pear juice could provide relief of some symptoms related to hangovers.
The amount of congeners present in alcohol can vary. As a general rule, the more distilled a spirit is, the lower the congeners. This is why some people may find that “top shelf” liquors that are highly distilled don't give them a hangover as much as a lower-priced alternative.
If you drink up to 5 to 6 shots of vodka glasses, you will start feeling drunk. This is your maximum limit. However, if you drank another, you will be completely drunk, and you will surely have a hangover.
But the most popular vodkas in the U.S. – including Smirnoff, Ciroc, Tito's, Absolut, Svedka, Grey Goose, SKYY and New Amsterdam – are not made in Russia. They are made in Sweden, France, the U.K. and the U.S.
Dark liquors cause worse hangovers than clear liquors.
Dark liquors contain congeners, byproducts of alcohol production found primarily in brandy, red wine, and tequila. Congeners make hangovers more severe and long-lasting. Clear liquors like silver rum, vodka, and gin contain fewer congeners.
There are exceptions, but that means it contains fewer congeners, she says. “Many specialists agree that cheaper alcohol brands often use less effective filtering, allowing more of those troubling byproducts into the alcoholic beverage, thus increasing the risk of those unwanted hangovers,” says Veach.
All liquor contains congeners, but whiskey has a much higher concentration. This is due to how it's made. Whiskey is typically distilled in oak barrels which is how it gets the darker color, Research shows that whiskey may have about 37 times more congeners than vodka, resulting in a horrible hangover.
Tequila has less sugar and calories than similar liquors, which may make it a slightly healthier option if you drink. But when mixing it with other ingredients, be careful to account for the whole drink's nutrition and not just the tequila measure.
Vodka, fresh grapefruit juice and cranberry juice the retro cocktail classic sure does pack a punch. Extensive research has proven that vodka is the best choice of liquor to avoid a hangover.
Our bodies tend to lose potassium when we drink alcohol (especially when drinking excessive amounts),2 so eating potassium-rich foods prior to drinking can help boost the amount in your body. Spinach, avocado, potatoes, lentils, milk, and yogurt are also high in potassium and great to snack on before drinking.
Know that a shot of tequila—that's 1.5 ounces—has eight times the alcohol content of beer! Before you call bottoms up… Know that a shot of tequila—that's 1.5 ounces—has eight times the alcohol content of beer!
The study found that Americans ranked Tequila as the worst hangover of their lives at 22.94%, followed by vodka (20.82%), wine (17.02%), and whiskey (15.43%).