The Experts' Hair of the Dog
The Hair of the Dog that bit you can be a merciful one. It can help lessen the effects of a hangover, cure that morning-after headache, and even quell any nausea associated with too much 'boozery'. There's no right answer to what'll help with that hangover – and let's be honest, a lot of it boils down to placebo effects.
But, I hit up a few bars to chat with some 'tenders about their choices for 'the next day'. After all, you have to go where the experts are, and if the experts want to serve you a pint of Guinness as we talk their 'shop', who are you to decline...? (PS For a more health-friendly version of what to do for a hangover, check out Malika Desrosiers' Do's and Don'ts of Hangover Cures)
The first bar I stopped in on my quest for knowledge was the new Firkin on Yonge. Here, a bartending duo informed me my pint of choice for the night – the aforementioned Guinness – was rife with vitamins and great to restore some gusto. I was also told that 'pickle juice' might be the way to go...I'm assuming they meant the brine. The idea caused its own streak of nausea to settle in...
Next up, a spicy Caesar was the cure of choice for Laura – who mans the bar at JOEY Eaton Centre – but only in conjunction with a pint of cider. This was echoed by Ryan at the Queen and Beaver, who goes one step further by using bacon-infused vodka for his Caesar, supposedly for the added protein. (I'm doubtful of the power of bacon in non-crisp and greasy forms.) And the folks at Brooklyn Bar echoed the same sentiment.
Over at Boutique Bar, the choice of the sprite pouring the bevvies is the same as the last drink she had the night before. “It's the Hair of the Dog that bit you, after all...” Indeed. And finally, over at Real Sports' bar, I'm informed any dark beer with a lower carbonation should set me back on track and cure my hangover woes.
All the purveyors of booze agree that the Hair of the Dog works best when served next to some greasy brunch – the time for breakfast of course being likely passed the next morn. Most suggested the Caesar because the tomato juice has vitamins and the spice helps you sweat out some of the alcohol still in your system.
I've never been one to order a vodka-based drink after a night of debauchery (also due, in part, to one fateful evening with about four too many Caesars ruining the drink permanently for me). But, as they say, so go the experts, so goes myself...
