Worst Hangover EVER after TWO beers - WHY??? (Founders Brewing Company)

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doodlebug

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I have loved me some Founders Brewing Company beer for a long time - and have been a mug club member there since 2004. A few years ago they moved into the new location and have increased production about 1000%. Many of you across the country are now able to get your hands on some favorites like Kentucky Breakfast Stout, Reds Rye, Dirty Bastard and Centennial IPA. The problem is, since this move I am unable to enjoy *any* beer without paying a significant price the next day. I had the same experience with New Holland when they upped their production. In the case of New Holland, a single beer would give me crushing, oppressive headaches. With Founders, and I've joked about this, but I literally feel (as I'm typing this) like what I imagine chemotherapy feels like. My body and stomach are tight, almost feverish and achy, and it feels like my cells are vibrating.

I am not alone on this one. We went down last night to see some excellent bands (Holy Ghost Tent Revival from NC and Chip Fundy from MI) and I had two beers - a Hop Mountain Brown and a Harvest Ale. A friend had 3 - Hop Brown and two IPA's and my lovely wife had a single 8 oz pour of Backwoods Bastard (Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale aged in American Oak bourbon barrels, 10.2% ABV). We all feel like ****. And like I said, it happens pretty much every time I go down there. Why do I still go? Well ... have you tasted some of these beers??

Still, I think I've reached the end of the line. My question is - what are they doing wrong? I don't often buy their beer bottled, so I can't tell if the problem lies in the serving lines or the beer in general. All of the beers seem to have the same effect on me, so it isn't just a bad batch issue. What could it possibly be? Is it possible for a certain yeast strain to just disagree with a person? Could it be something like improper cleaning procedures where some caustic is getting into the beer? Are they trying to push out too much beer by bumping up the fermentation temps and thereby creating some unwanted byproducts?

Really curious...and sad that it seems to be the end of a long relationship.

Anyone?
 
I was going to suggest comparing them to the bottles. The only thing I can think of is some dirty lines, but I would suspect that at a brewery they would know about line cleanliness?

Do they even use the same yeast strain on all the beers?

I had a bottle of backwood's bastard last night and I feel fine right now (no cell vibration that I can notice).
 
I don't think that it's the yeast in this case, because I doubt they've changed yeasts in the past years, and it used to be okay. I was sort of just wondering that as a general question though.

The change coincided with the move to much larger tanks, so I'm kind of wondering what might be going on there.
 
I have noticed this problem at a few local establishments - not breweries, but bars. I FIRMLY believe it is the length and cleanliness of the beer lines that cause this. There is a local bar in my area that has great blues bands on mondays as well as a small but nice selection of craft brews on draft (had Dogfish Punkin, Penn Oktoberfest, Victory Hopdevil last time I was there.) Last time I was foolish enough to drink drafts there, I had TWO beers over the course of a couple hours (the punkin and Penn) and woke up with a headache that felt like I had had a DOZEN. I was discussing this problem with a fellow who works there and he told me that the kegs were in a cooler that is at least 50' away from the tap..... :drunk:
So.... calculating that out....3/8" x 50' = 66 cubic inches of beer = 36.57 ounces.... .OUCH...More than 2 pints would have to be poured before you even got a drop of beer from the keg instead of the line. Now I know why the drafts always taste "off" there... Now this place doesn't exactly have a lot of craft beer drinkers for blues night. I recon I was the first to have the Punkin that night.... of which ALL of my pint came from the beer that had been sitting in the line for who knows how long. This same problem has been experienced by MULTIPLE beer drinking buddies there. Now I just drink bottles. Which sucks cause they don't have any craft beer in bottles except Sam Adams Boston Lager and Penn Pilsner and Penn Dark. AND it is more expensive.....but at least I don't get that sledge-to-head the next morning.

I (and some friends) also used to have this same problem at another (now closed) local beer bar. Their lines ran up from the basement and were also LONG. It was so tough to go there. 15-20 craft taps, but have more than 2 and lookout!

I know what my 1.5' dispensing lines / cobra tap look like on my kegs after a relatively short time.....makes me shiver to think about 50'...

Now, in your situation, I would think that a brewery, especially one as good as Founders would have this dispensing thing figured out. So, don't know if this is much help to you, but at least you aren't alone!

Then again....maybe we're just gettin' old....:mug:
 
Another bit of info -

Went to my "regular" bar where I meet friends on Thursday evenings last night. Great draft selection - DFH 60 min, Penn's new Allegheny Pale Ale, Great Lakes Octoberfest. We all had well OVER a pitcher for each of us.... and no problem or hangover at all this morning. This place's set up is standard commercial beer coolers with the draft towers, where the kegs sit immediately below the taps in the cooler. The lines gotta be 2-3 foot max.

Damn I love that place. Good people, great food, and cheap ($8!!!) pitchers of good craft beer that doesn't give you a hangover even if you have enough to know you've been drinking all night....:rockin:
 
This question may not pertain to the topic (my pre-coffee brain thought process) but did the move by any chance move it up a significant elevation? I ask because in the Great Basin / Sierra Nevada's area there is huge variation in elevation. When SWMBO and I travel to her hometown in Nevada County, CA, it's impossible to get even buzzed due to an elevation of 1500ft. But upon returning to our house in Reno (5300ft) our acclimatized bodies cause us to get quite toasty after just a couple beers.

Just a thought; figure I'd try to introduce another possibility.
 
Like others have stated, most likely its the lines. A good friend works for distributor and they are very cautious about making sure their accounts clean their lines regularly. You would be surprised the stories I hear about checking the lines and having "Sludge" come out of them...if they dont have a Glycol system running along their lines then most likely the beer is sitting warm in the line rotting. Some places think that because their kegs are kept in a cooler that they do not need the Glycol. Well what about the 50' of beer line that is not in the cooler.

A little off topic, we have a dive bar by my work that we frequent for happy hour. They pour nothing but Miller Lite and Coors on tap, but they clean their lines EVERY SINGLE DAY. It is amazing how good a cold Miller Lite tastes from a freshly cleaned line.

New Belgium is notorious for enforcing clean lines. They have the "Beer Rangers" whose sole job it is to travel the country and make sure that any bar/rest that serves their beer has clean lines. If not, they will pull their beer from that establishment...
 
I was under the impression that hangovers were caused by dehydration and or sulfites. Is it possible the beers you chose where high in sulfites?
 
I tasted Founders' beers at the GABF and several of them had strong fusels. So strong that I dumped them immediately. :(

Fusel alcohols have been known to contribute to hangovers. This may be what you are experiencing.

Not sure if the fusel alcohol fault is related to the brewery move but I've had Founders in the past and was always impressed. Though, they'd have to pay me to drink the poor quality beer served at GABF. ;)
 
I tasted Founders' beers at the GABF and several of them had strong fusels. So strong that I dumped them immediately. :(

Fusel alcohols have been known to contribute to hangovers. This may be what you are experiencing.

Not sure if the fusel alcohol fault is related to the brewery move but I've had Founders in the past and was always impressed. Though, they'd have to pay me to drink the poor quality beer served at GABF. ;)

This is exactly what I was trying to get at - and a quick search turned up the fact that fusels are produced when fermentation occurs at higher temperatures. Perhaps due to an increase in demand and trying to push beer out too fast? It does seem like a likely culprit. I'm going to buy a sixer next week in the bottle and see if it has any similar effect. Hopefully it does not, or I'll be working from home the next day again ...
 
This question may not pertain to the topic (my pre-coffee brain thought process) but did the move by any chance move it up a significant elevation? I ask because in the Great Basin / Sierra Nevada's area there is huge variation in elevation. When SWMBO and I travel to her hometown in Nevada County, CA, it's impossible to get even buzzed due to an elevation of 1500ft. But upon returning to our house in Reno (5300ft) our acclimatized bodies cause us to get quite toasty after just a couple beers.

Just a thought; figure I'd try to introduce another possibility.

Thanks for the thought! But we're in Grand Rapids MI, about 500' above sea level. The move did situate the brewery and taproom at a higher elevation, albeit probably more along the lines of 15'-20'. :mug:
 
Maybe try drinking water before and after? Maybe even during. I believe headaches caused by alcohol is because the alcohol dehydrates you somewhat causing your brain to shrink and pull on the membranes attached to your skull.
 
I have been to founders a few times and followed each trip up with a trip to hopcat down the street. I have had several beers at each bar every time and have actually felt fine. Nothing more than slight dehydration headache which should be expected.
 
I think I need some sort of large grant to do a proper study of the beer line issue....

Personally, I am convinced that dirty lines contribute to hangovers, not to mention off flavors.

Also left out of the discussion is YOU. Your tolerance for alcohol is going to vary a lot based on your general condition. If you are tired or stressed, the effects will be magnified. Fighting a cold or allergy, same thing. Also, medications really do have an impact. And then there are some days where it will just hit you harder.

And a free piece of advice; do not get drunk on heavy Belgian beers, many do have fusels from higher fermentation temperatures. Worst hangover of my life was from a long night of Chimay drinking.
 
Maybe try drinking water before and after? Maybe even during. I believe headaches caused by alcohol is because the alcohol dehydrates you somewhat causing your brain to shrink and pull on the membranes attached to your skull.

Not sure about that science, but I drank 3 pints of water and 2 pints of beer on this night at Founders ... not a dehydration issue.
 
I think if its a fusel alcohol issue, you would be able to taste it in the beer. If your a loyal fan of Founders or any estableshment, you should be able to know a flavor change that it would cause. Also, its hard for me to believe that bad lines would be the cause either. I would think it might give you the poops, but headaches? Maybe they are stemming from another ailment?
 
I tasted Founders' beers at the GABF and several of them had strong fusels. So strong that I dumped them immediately. :(

Fusel alcohols have been known to contribute to hangovers. This may be what you are experiencing.

Not sure if the fusel alcohol fault is related to the brewery move but I've had Founders in the past and was always impressed. Though, they'd have to pay me to drink the poor quality beer served at GABF. ;)

Perhaps they don't take the proper temp readings in the new fermentation tanks? The center can get much warmer than the outside if they are using coolers and only chilling the out portion of the tank. Last time I had a Rochfort 10 I was 'out of sorts' all the next day. After reading BLAM and how hot and fast they push the fermentation on some of these Belgians I began to wonder about that....
 
question has the issue been brought up to management of said establishment? perhaps they need to be made aware of the issue.

-=Jason=-
 
The dirty beer lines is an interesting hypothesis, but I've had beer from lines presumably dirty enough to affect the taste of the beer without any adverse effects other than the taste. Did the beer taste off to you? Was it foamier than normal during the pour?

My suspicions fall towards two areas which are known to cause headaches and could easily be caused by a shift in production: Fusel alcohols and water chemistry.

Fusel seems likely as the shift to a larger production system could result in higher fermentation temps and/or improper yeast pitching rate or poor yeast health. Both of these conditions are known headache culprits, but typically can be detected in the taste of the beer in significant quantity. (tastes hot, like the smell of fuel or chemicals)

As for water chemistry, if their production brewery has changed water supplies, they may be attempting to modify the chemistry of the water to better suit their beers, and if that includes "burtonizing" the water, the salt additions may be the culprit. English style beers with Burton style water chemistry are heavier in minerals that compound dehydration and could also be a headache factor. My 2¢.

EDIT: After re-reading the OP, I noticed that the headache onset was instant, even while still drinking the beer. My only consistent experience that that situation was a definite result of fusel alcohol. One of my early beers was a Hefeweizen in a keg that suffered a stint in 85 degree F ambient temps for about a week. The beer was fine prior to the storage, and afterwards would inflict a log splitting headache even after the first few sips. The heavy banana helped mask the flavor of the fusels, but there certainly was a medicinal flavor present. This is a beer that I wouldn't have drank in high school. You simply could not enjoy the buzz without paying the piper.
 
I think the OP is spoiled on HB beers NOT giving as severe of a hangover because they are unfiltered (in most cases). This results in a massive vitamin intake. Perhaps they moved to a force carb set up vs. bottle conditioned beers...(100% my speculation)

I can, from time to time, have 1 or 2 pints (even bottles) of commercial beers and feel like I was run over by a logging truck on the freeway...on the flip side I can sometimes drink 3-5 pitchers of commercial beers and feel "not as bad as expected" in the am. This is what I call "the beer god's karma"...BTW none of this is limited to a particular brand of beer and this even happens to my BMC drinking friends.

:off:

I, during Oktoberfest, had my 1st Founder's Breakfast stouts. I have also tracked down a few more 4 packs. This brew has inspired me to make my own version of "Breakfast Stout"...still in the planning stages...I think it is a FANTASTIC brew!
 
I haven't had a problem with Founders beer. I had a harvest ale 2 days ago, along with a couple of other beers that day and def did not notice any ill effects, even after NOT drinking water.

I haven't been to the taproom in a long time, but I do plan on going. As always.

And I thought the whole reason to expand was to NOT have to rush the brewing process...
 
Personally, I am convinced that dirty lines contribute to hangovers, not to mention off flavors.
i do enough water sampling to know that compounds leach out of ALL plastics. teflon is the only thing that won't leach nasties into solution. i'll buy into your hypothesis. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/compound-leaching-plastic-pvc-equipment-151280/

i don't have any temperature control for fermentation and have wild swings in fermenting temperatures. some batches have gone 90* so i know fusel alcohols well. while i get off flavors from a batch here and there, i never have crazy symptoms or headaches like the OP has pointed out.

i'm leaning toward the beer sitting in the lines, possibly leaching nasties, then being poured tasting no different that any other beer.
 
I go there with friends almost weekly and have never had an issue with hangovers the next day. I usually drink the breakfast stout, harvest ale, or Red's Rye.
 
Hello,
I just wanted to clear up a few misconceptions I have been reading here.

1. Founders has the cleanest draft lines of any bar/restaurant I have ever been to. We constantly keep our lines clean from anything that could contaminate our beer. On top of this our mirco lab tests these lines to make sure that every pour you get is nothing but clean fresh fantastic beer.
2. The cause of most hangovers is actually related more to dehydration than any other factor. Beer at Founders tends to run a much higher ABV than your macro beers. One of the best ways you can prevent a hangover is to take the time or drink some water throughout the night. And finish your night with a glass or two of water before bed.
The Science behind the classic headache is actually a dehydrated body will take water from the brain. This results in a very small amount of shrinking of your brain. The lining around brains is both connected to the brain and the scull. This little bit of shrinking stresses the lining and results in the pain we all get after a good night.

Stay hydrated and enjoy some nice cold water after drinking.
 
not founders related but, i thought i would add this experience to the thread.

the other day my fiance and I went to the Tower Theatre in Philly. we both had 1 of the same beer, Yards Pale Ale, and an hour later became ill after drinking the beer. we started with vomiting and it escalated from there. my digestive tract is still sick but i am feeling much better two days later and am beginning to eat again. i asked the staff if they ever clean their beer lines and they had no idea what i was talking about. i believe now that dirty beer lines can and will get you sick. i wouldn't wish food poisoning on anyone, it was disgusting and miserable.
 
not founders related but, i thought i would add this experience to the thread.

the other day my fiance and I went to the Tower Theatre in Philly. we both had 1 of the same beer, Yards Pale Ale, and an hour later became ill after drinking the beer. we started with vomiting and it escalated from there. my digestive tract is still sick but i am feeling much better two days later and am beginning to eat again. i asked the staff if they ever clean their beer lines and they had no idea what i was talking about. i believe now that dirty beer lines can and will get you sick. i wouldn't wish food poisoning on anyone, it was disgusting and miserable.

Sorry to hear that. A local BJCP judge is holding some classes. (He is a few experience points shy of a national ranking). Last class he lined up a bunch of Yard products to do side by side comparisons of different styles from bitter to IPA. Very nice beers overall.
 
Hello,
...The lining around brains is both connected to the brain and the scull...

Sorry, but I just had to ask... where could I find my scull? I know where my skull is, but maybe my scull is the source of all my morning headaches. :drunk:
 
There are studies linking increased "hangover effects" to fusel alcohols. Dehydration probably is the single largest factor but certainly not the sole factor for a bad hangover.

Would you mind explaining the strong fusels I and others tasted in several of your beers at the 2010 GABF? :)

I like that QC stopped by for a visit. That was nice. Thanks for the science lesson. Note not a response to the fusel question/thread. As an update, the situation has improved if only slightly at Founders. My thinking is that it's the yeast adjusting to different sized fermenters. I don't get the immediate fusel-wretch that I used to there anymore, fwiw.
 
It actually was nice of QC to pop in anyway, shows there is a concern....There are so many factors involved here, it would be impossible to tell what is causing it...though, I have a had a few cases of "rogue" hangover after only a few beers. My question is, do you mostly drink at Founder's? If so, this could just be the luck of the draw on a confluence of factors.
 
I agree with lamarguy; I can't really get on with the lines argument because I'd think anything in the lines that would cause hangover like symptoms would also be easily discernible in the beer (it'd taste off).

I've had plenty of homebrew that was poorly fermented (warm) and it is staggering in it's hangover effects, even after just a couple of brews.
 
My Best advice, and this may sound odd but drink two red bulls and a small container of OJ BEFORE you start drinking the beer and see if you still get the hangover.
 
I've had draft Red's Rye and Breakfast Stout at several establishments here in Central IL, and no problems. Given the pattern here, I would subscribe to the dirty lines theory......
 
http://cocktails.about.com/od/healthsafety/a/hngovr_101a.htm


The hangover. What a dreaded word, a word that brings chills and the onset of a headache just thinking about the possibility of waking in the morning tired, nauseous and with that wonderful thing we call cotton mouth. Yet often enough we do not think about this while we are having a good time with friends and ordering another Old-fashioned or worse yet, a Jäger Bomb.

So, why do we get hangovers? How can we avoid them? How bad can it get? And what can we do when we have one? Those are the questions we are going to answer and that is really what you want to learn, that is why you are here, is it not?

How do I know if I have a hangover?
First of all, you will know when you have one, trust me. If you have never had one consider yourself lucky and here’s to the hope that you are never plagued with one in your lifetime. If you would like to cheer up a little and gauge the severity of your pain, read The Six Stages of Hangovers.

These are some of the symptoms of a hangover, if you are lucky you are not suffering from all of these at once. If this entire list describes your current condition, tell everyone to leave you alone and go back to bed.

Dehydration
Dry mouth
Tiredness
Headache
Nausea
Weakness
Anxiety
Irritability
Pessimism
Difficulty concentrating
Sensitivity to light and noise
Trouble sleeping
Suspension of the laws of gravity

There are a number of factors that play a part in whether or not you will get a hangover after a night of drinking. Many of the causes are obvious and most of us know what our own limitations are. It goes without saying that the one true way to avoid a hangover is to avoid or severely limit the amount alcohol you consume.

The ethanol contained in alcoholic beverages has a dehydrating effect which causes headaches, dry mouth and tiredness. This effect can be lessened by drinking plenty of water before and throughout your night of drinking.
Your liver breaks ethanol down with the aid of enzymes produced by liver cells. These chemical reactions do many things including impairing the liver’s ability to supply glucose to tissues, in particular to the brain. Glucose is responsible for the brain’s energy and the lack thereof results in fatigue, weakness, moodiness and decreased attention.
Congeners are the by-products of the process of alcohol fermentation and exaggerate the symptoms of a hangover. The more congeners consumed, the worse a hangover is likely to be. Dark spirits such as brandy, whiskey and red wine contain more congeners than lighter spirits like vodka and white wine. Likewise cheaper spirits have had fewer of these impurities removed and are more likely to cause a hangover.
Some people believe the sugar in sweeter cocktails contribute to the severity of hangovers.
Smokers and even some non-smokers tend to smoke more when they are drinking and this can lead to nicotine poisoning which will also worsen hangovers.
Some people are genetically lucky when it comes to hangovers and rarely, if ever, suffer the effects.
Weight is a factor. The less one weighs the more that person will feel the effects and after effects of alcohol.
The older you are the more likely you are to have a severe hangover. This is usually not a factor because we tend to take it a little easier as we learn from the mistakes of the past. But you have been warned.
There is something to be said about psychosomatic effects. If you think you will get a hangover, you probably will get one. Look on the bright side and save yourself.
Finally, the more you drink or the more you guzzle in a short time span, the worse your hangover will be.

Before your night out begins and throughout the night you can make some wise decisions that will lessen the effects of your misery the next day. Who knows, you may even avoid one completely.

Before you drink:

Eat. Fill your stomach with a healthy meal of starches and essential vitamins and minerals. Note that I said healthy. The food will absorb the alcohol and lessen it’s effects on you. If you decide a greasy bar burger or drippy pizza is your idea of a good meal you may regret that idea when the grease mixes the wrong way with liquor and carbonation and you end up staring at the toilet bowl.
Hydrate. Drink lots of fruit juice and water now. Think of it this way, for every glass of non-alcoholic beverage you drink now you will save yourself from having to drink two glasses in the morning.
Prepare your favorite hangover remedy and place it in an easy to open container in the fridge. If you do over indulge the last thing you will want to do in the morning is gather ingredients, mix things and worse yet, run the blender.
A clinical study from 2004 suggests that drinking prickly pear fruit extract several hours prior to drinking will reduce the symptoms of a hangover.
Try one of the many anti-hangover remedies found at convenience store registers and drug stores. I have heard good and bad things about these but have never tried them personally, but it is an option.

While you drink:

Grab a bite to eat at the bar. This is where greasy fries would be okay to eat because it is a snack that will keep your stomach full and add extra material to absorb the alcohol. Bar peanuts, popcorn, any type of food will do the job.
Choose the booze carefully. Again, dark spirits contain more congeners, light spirits fewer, cheap liquor more. More congeners equal more headaches. Stick with quality light color drinks most of the night to reduce your hangover.
Memorize this rhyme and abide by it, it will save you a lot of pain. “Liquor before beer, never fear. Beer before liquor, never sicker.”
Alternate alcoholic with non-alcoholic beverages. This trick will slow your alcohol consumption down and still give you something to drink. Choose water, fruit juices or light carbonated beverages. If you are worried about what your friends may think order a mocktail or dress up a straight virgin beverage with a garnish and lie. Call Sprite or 7-Up with a lime a Vodka Tonic or orange juice a Screwdriver or cranberry juice with a lime a Cape Codder. They are probably too drunk to know the difference and who cares anyway, you will feel so much better in the morning than they will, HA!
Consume less than one drink per hour. Your liver breaks down alcohol at the rate of one beer per hour, so spreading out your drinking over many hours will give your body a chance to keep up with you.
Once you make it home and before you crash on the bed force yourself to drink a glass of water and take some Vitamin B. This is also not the time to take any headache medicine (Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Aspirin) as they could seriously damage your liver.
 
As an update, the situation has improved if only slightly at Founders. I don't get the immediate fusel-wretch that I used to there anymore, fwiw.

Glad to hear things have improved. I'm hoping it was a temporary fermentation issue. For example, the yeast may have been rising above the glycol lines in the new unitanks, resulting in excessive fusels.

I look forward to trying their beer again at GABF this year. :)
 
Hello,
One of the best ways you can prevent a hangover is to take the time or drink some water throughout the night. And finish your night with a glass or two of water before bed.

As I understand it consuming water while under the influence of a diuretic is almost pointless if you continue to drink alcohol. The more water you drink the more you will pee. The diuretic lowers water retention in the blood, therefore trying to force more fluid into the blood by way of consuming water will not work. An analogy is that alcohol cuts the top half of your water bucket off. Pouring more in to gain a normal fluid level just spills it over the side. This is why drinking beer which is 85-90% water anyway does not help prevent dehydration. What it will do is help flush other chemicals the body wants rid of. Water itself is a diuretic, so drinking it will just make you pee more, unless you deal with the other blood water retention issue first. A popular "health freak" detox is to take pharmaceutical diuretics and drink gallons of water to flush the blood. The water will help your kidneys though. If your pee goes dark... DRINK water! However I have found that nomatter how heavily I drink, this does not happen until the next day.

What WILL help is the second part of your statement. With the important addition of food. Putting a meal in your stomach and then adding several pints of water before you go to bed, assuming you don't wake up to take a pee, will help, as the food holds the water in your stomach longer and introduces it to the blood slowly as the alcohol breaks down.

Asides dehydration, what causes hangovers is the intermediate chemical stages of the liver breaking down alcohol. Acetaldehyde and then acetate (finally C02 + water). The liver cannot store the intermediate chemicals which take a lot longer to break down, so it temporarily stores them in the blood to deal with later. Trouble is these intermediate chemicals are much more toxic than the alcohol you consumed in the first place. After a long session the levels get so high that they start to effect organs, tissue and the brain.

Liver and alcohol breakdown - myDr.com.au

Here are my anti-hangover tips:

1. Drink less... obviously.
2. Start earlier, finish earlier.
3. Eat before (slows alcohol absorption) and after (allows you to store fluid overnight so the body can rehydrate itself and re-energise itself).
4. The more sleep the better.

For every 2 days drinking, you need at least 1 day dry to allow the liver to "dump" it's by products safely. If you don't they will build up leading to various levels of liver disease.

A tip, from experience... be careful what you leave by the bed to drink the next morning. I have found:
Coca-Cola = NO! It may help a little with the dehydration and the fizz and acid helps clear the "carpet tongue". remember though it contains caffeine a diuretic. But the heavy sugars will cause you to get a serious sugar hang over which can be just as bad. Get yourself an alcohol hang over + a Coca-Cola hang over and you'll know about it.
Sweet fruit juice: better than coke, but it still gives you a sugar hangover. Depending on how pure the juice is, this can be barely noticable, can give you a mild headache, or.. it can make you dizzy and woosy.
Water is probably the best bet. Worst it will do is bloat your stomach a bit and force you to get up for a pee.

Eat something as soon as you can stomach it.

It's okay to throw up if the body tells you it needs to.
 

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