While New Years Eve is an exciting worldwide event filled with camaraderie and good cheer, it also brings to mind a singular activity: drinking libations. As 2014 takes its final bow, many of us will be raising a glass, or ten, to welcome its successor. As we all know, some of us more than others, alcohol can lead to amazing memories, yet terrible mornings. Raise your hand if the toilet has ever become your best friend the day after drinking. Yeah, me too. The good news is our ancestors spent the past few centuries coming up with remedies, cures, and elixirs to make life a little easier for those of us that like to live in the present. Here is a list of a few hangover cures and their origins, some strange, some funny, some literary, but all worth trying.
THE FULL IRISH BREAKFAST
“Top o’ the mornin’ to ya!” said no one ever after a night
of heavy drinking. The Irish, historically and to this day, are known for their
feats in the field of drinking. Their one big international festival, St.
Patrick’s Day, happens to be the second busiest drinking day of the year in the
United States. I know, it’s surprising it’s not number one, that spot is
dominated by the day before Thanksgiving. (I guess people need to hate
themselves for drinking too much in order to feel thankful for their families.)
Nevertheless, the Irish have a grasp on drinking and consequently I have a
feeling they have a pretty good grasp of the remedy. Start your morning with a
big plate of rashers (it’s like bacon, but better), fried eggs, pork sausage,
toast, fried tomatoes, and sautéed mushrooms. Add a pint of Guinness and you
can consider yourself on the way to feeling Irish and cured. If you want to try
this one on for size there are two Indy restaurants that offer up this dish,
both with locations on the Northside and Downtown. Check out either Claddagh, they
offer this seven days a week, all day long or Chatham Tap, if they are open for
an early (meaning before 11 A.M.) football match (soccer, for you yanks). They
serve up an awesome version of this and it goes great with one of their house made
bloody marys, a hangover cure in itself.
PHO
Coming in from the Far East, Vietnam to be exact (where it
is already 2015 as I’m writing this) we have a delicious bowl of spicy
goodness. Pho, pronounced like the first two letters of my favorite expletive,
is undoubtedly my go to hangover cure. Whenever I wake up in a haze, my temples
throbbing, stomach afoul, all I want (after the ibuprofen) is a big steaming
bowl of savory broth, noodles, assorted pieces of some animal (I prefer chicken
even though beef is traditional), fresh lime, basil, jalapeño, a bit of hoisin,
and a healthy helping of red chili sauce. Chopsticks in one hand and soup spoon
in the other, its time to dig in and enjoy the slow, spicy warming cure. This
dish is gaining popularity nationwide, in Indy I’ve enjoyed it on the Southside
and Westside. Despite the run-of-the-mill name, Egg Roll #1, located on Emerson
Avenue, is anything but, and serves up my personal favorite pho. Another,
K&T Deli, near Lafayette Square, is possibly the most authentic Vietnamese
restaurant in the city and offers a variety of delectable cuisine. Now just to hunt
down a Hanoi Beer, since hair of the dog is never a bad solution.
HAIR OF THE DOG
A list like this can’t go without referencing this gem of an
idea. Drink a lot all night, get hammered, have fun. Wake up the next day,
regret those actions, and in turn repeat them to make life better. Simple plan,
simple execution. Find a drink, or two and drink it. That is all. Though, some
people believe it takes a specific drink to make up for the night before. I prefer
something spicy, bloody marys are my favorite. I know, I’m not original. Ernest
Hemingway, of writing and drinking fame, drank his choice cocktail, aptly named
Death in the Afternoon. His instructions were, “Pour 1 jigger of absinthe into
a champagne glass. Add champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness.
Drink three to five of these slowly.” Hem proves we all have our own taste, so
please pick your own poison (I mean cure). Though many places in Indy offer
libations year round, my choice for the first of the year is the New Year’s Day
Party at Fountain Square Brewery, offering FSB Pilsner Mimosa’s, corned hash
and cabbage and some live music featuring Hank Haggard!
CABBAGE
Ah, see what I did there! Cabbage, from my research, seems
to be one of the oldest hangover remedies and one of the most wide-spread. It
was used in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome and I think there is a saying about
doing as the Roman’s do, just make sure to let your mind skip past that whole
gladiator blood-sport thing and a few other things. The good news is there are
actually some scientific points behind this remedy. Cabbage has an abundance of
phytonutrients that help your liver neutralize chemicals, such as alcohol. This
is good for those vegetarians and vegans out there, throw in some other
cruciferous veggies and some spices and get that digestive system back on
track. For those of us that think animals are fun to pet, but better to chew, toss
in a healthy mess of corned beef, sausage or any other fatty animal protein and
you should be good to go. Remember, when getting rid of a hangover, fat means
good. If you can’t swing by FSB, Shapiro’s Delicatessen, a staple for any
Naptowner, has one of the best corned-beef and cabbages around.
MENUDO
No, not the band Ricky Martin was in (though…that in itself
requires some form of cure after a night with too much of it), I’m talking
about another soup.
This soup is not for the faint of heart. However, if you fancy yourself an adventurous eater, or you’re of Mexican heritage, menudo may be the cure for you. It is a spicy, usually very spicy, garlicky, Mexican soup made with tripe (aka cow stomach) and guajillo peppers. It is supposed to get rid of any level of hangover and leave you feeling rejuvenated. Surprisingly, this seems to have some science behind it as well; the mix of spices actually distracts your mind and your body. If you can get past the cow stomach, which is actually really good, it is a truly awesome hangover cure, or just meal. I must admit I’ve only tried this at one place in the city on the suggestion of a Mexican family I am a friend of and I loved it. It’s a large carniceria or butcher shop for those of us that don’t speak Spanish, called Carniceria Guanajuato 2 and it’s at 31st and Shadeland. The first one is near Lafayette Square. Don’t be afraid to step outside the box and try this, but make sure and get there early (which may be hard if you are hungover), as this soup sells out early.
This soup is not for the faint of heart. However, if you fancy yourself an adventurous eater, or you’re of Mexican heritage, menudo may be the cure for you. It is a spicy, usually very spicy, garlicky, Mexican soup made with tripe (aka cow stomach) and guajillo peppers. It is supposed to get rid of any level of hangover and leave you feeling rejuvenated. Surprisingly, this seems to have some science behind it as well; the mix of spices actually distracts your mind and your body. If you can get past the cow stomach, which is actually really good, it is a truly awesome hangover cure, or just meal. I must admit I’ve only tried this at one place in the city on the suggestion of a Mexican family I am a friend of and I loved it. It’s a large carniceria or butcher shop for those of us that don’t speak Spanish, called Carniceria Guanajuato 2 and it’s at 31st and Shadeland. The first one is near Lafayette Square. Don’t be afraid to step outside the box and try this, but make sure and get there early (which may be hard if you are hungover), as this soup sells out early.
Hopefully, you can utilize one of these “cures” as you wake
up in 2015. Feel free to offer your own suggestions in the comment section. Indy is full of wonderful remedies to even
the wildest night out. Even though your first day of 2015 may be bit of a
headache, hopefully this is a great year for everyone in this city we call
home.
P.S. In a pinch, a great hangover cure is a bag of plain
potato chips and a bottle of water…and those can be found at any gas station or
grocery store.
