Well it's now a New Year and the morning after one hell of a celebration. I have to admit I usually indulge in a few libations when I celebrate, and sometimes I just don't feel so great the next morning. I'm in decent shape today, just a little slow and mellow. Although I think I aged more than just one year last night, I must be slowing down. I don't know about you, but I really need something to get me fully back on my game, so I did a little research on the infamous hangover.

Sarah has told us quite a bit about how to prevent hangovers and remedies for once we have them. She sounds like a real pro on the subject and I hope she feels ok today. Yesterday / last year she wrote about Berocca and Borba and last Spring and Summer she told us about food and beverages to help us get over our hangovers. In this article Forbes discusses their top ten hangover treatments, some of which include: Water to hydrate us after all those inducing drinks. Sports drinks to replenish lost electrolytes. Over the counter pain relievers like aspirin (and the not so safe to use after boozing, ibuprofen and acetaminophen.) Vitamins B-6 and B-12 because low levels accentuate a hangover. Prickly Pear extracts to help with nausea, dry mouth, and loss of appetite. Then I finally found a whole series of related articles on About.com with their Hangover 101.

Of course I got a chuckle out of this article on undrinkable hangover remedies in The Daily Lush.

Between them they cover most of the bases to get us back on our feet, so I guess I'll talk about the hair of the dog that bit you. Alcohol in large amounts when you are hungover probably isn't the best thing. But used judiciously and well watered down in morning after cocktails, it can be just what you need to make it through a brunch session that will fix you up for the day. So here are some of my favorite hangover helpers.

A severely spicy Bloody Forester is how my friends and I got jump-started this morning. Anyway I just want to wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR ! ! ! (Oops, sorry I shouted so loud. I forgot you were hungover.)

Classic Bloody Mary
1 1/2 ounces (1 jigger) vodka
1/2 cup tomato juice
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Worcestershire sauce to taste
Tabasco to taste
1 celery stick and/or 1 lemon wedge for garnish
Optional: 1 teaspoon ground horseradish

And here's my version of the Bloody Mary

The Bloody Forester
1 -2 oz. of Premium Gin
1 tablespoon (or more) of ground Horseradish
1/2 -1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon (or more) Sriracha sauce or chili garlic paste
V-8 Juice
Sprinkle of celery seed
1/2 tablespoon of maple syrup
For garnish use a pickled asparagus, hot okra, or dilly bean; and a nice leafy inner celery stalk.

Fill a very tall glass, preferably a pint glass 3/4 with ice, add gin and all ingredients; except for maple syrup and garnish. Then stir or shake thoroughly. Drizzle on top with the maple syrup, garnish, add a long straw and serve. Repeat as necessary.

Mimosa
Champagne or sparkling wine, well chilled
Orange Juice- preferably premium or fresh squeezed, well chilled
1/2 fill a wine glass or champagne flute with champagne or sparkling wine. Gently top off with orange juice. garnish with a piece of fresh fruit like pineapple, strawberry, peach, etc.

Champagne Cocktail
3 oz. Champagne, chilled
1 cube Sugar
dash Angostura Bitters
Stir ingredients slowly. Garnish with a Lemon twist.

The Prairie Oyster
1 whole egg
1½ oz. brandy
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Dash of Tabasco or other hot sauce
Splash of tomato or V-8 juice (optional)
Carefully crack the egg and place inside a highball glass (the yolk should be unbroken). Add the other ingredients. When drinking, the yolk should be swallowed whole. Warning: raw eggs may contain salmonella.


During my research on hangover remedies I found this great article on Epicurious.com called Bloody Mary: The Unauthorized Biography. Of course besides my Bloody Forester there are many other variations on a Bloody Mary, like the Bloody Caesar that Joe told us about.

If you are having several hungover folks visiting you may even want to set up a Bloody Mary Platter or Bar with various ingredients, so that way folks can make and customize their own drinks. The more ingredients and garnishes the better.

Bloody Mary Bar
Premium Vodka, Gin, and Tequila
Tomato Juice, V-8 Juice, and Clamato Juice
Beef Bouillon
Fresh Lemons and Limes
Ground Horseradish
Wasabi
Tabasco, Sriracha, and several other hot sauces
Worcestershire sauce
Celery salt or seed
Salt
Pepper
For garnishes you want as many different types as possible. Some suggestions are:
Assorted veggies like celery stalks, carrot sticks, zucchini and squash sticks
Pickled veggies such as asparagus, dilly beans, okra, Peppadews and other pickled peppers, pickle spears, stuffed or pit less olives, etc.


Even More Bloody Mary Info
I found the following Bloody Mary cocktail info on Wikipedia:

• Vodka was rarely found outside the Northeast until the 1950s, and in some regions of the USA the "Bloody Mary" was originally made with gin instead of vodka; in those regions the cocktail made with vodka, when it became available, was originally called a "Red Hammer."
• If the drink is served without the vodka, it is called "Virgin Mary," a "Bloody Shame," or a "Bloody Virgin."
• When V8 is used instead of the tomato juice - or a mixture (usually half of each) of V8 and tomato juice - it is called a "Bloody Eight" or an "Eight Ball".
• When Clamato is used instead of tomato juice, it is known as a "Caesar", "Bloody Caesar", or "Clammy Mary," a popular Canadian cocktail.
• When beef bouillon is used instead of tomato juice, it is known as a "Bullshot".
• When an exceptionally hot pepper, such as the Red Savina is added to the drink, it is sometimes known as a "Screaming Emo". A sans-alcohol version is known as a "Virgin Emo".
• The "Mile High Mary", popularized in restaurant chains originating in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States, has its glass rimmed with a mixture of salt and paprika.
• When tequila is used instead of vodka, it is known as a "Bloody Maria".
• When whiskey is used instead of vodka, it is known as a "Brown Mary" or a "Whiskey Mary".
• When rum (typically Captain Morgan) is used instead of vodka, it is known as a "Bloody Morgan".
• When sake is used instead of vodka, it is known as a "Bloody Geisha".
• When beer is used instead of vodka and Clamato (a juice made of clam broth and tomato juice) mixed with a raw egg is used in place of the tomato juice, it is known as a Calgary Red Eye, a popular Canadian hangover remedy.
• When Mexican beer flavored with a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce is used instead of vodka, it is known as a "Michelada".