Why Do Some Alcohols Give Different Types of Headaches?
If you've ever danced with the devil of post-party headaches, you're not alone. We've all been there, nursing a head that feels like it's been used for a game of darts by mischievous pixies. But why do some alcohols, if over-consumed (which never happens, right?), give a piercing headache, while others just result in a throb and nausea?
Firstly, of course, all alcohol, if “over-enjoyed,” will cause a headache. Alcohol that we drink is Ethanol, and that causes a headache if you have too much. But along with the alcohol, there is a lot more in your typical drink.
Picture this: you're at a pub, fancying yourself a sophisticated sipper, when the bartender pulls out a flashy bottle of your chosen poison. In this case, a top-shelf drop of spirit blended by the last survivors of an ancient order of Celtic monks – knee-deep in moss and peat, and chanting in a long-dead language, possibly Etruscan. Little do you know; this bottle could very well unleash a headache that rivals a thousand drum circles in your cranium.
Enter congeners, the sneaky little devils hiding in the corners of your favourite tipples. Congeners are like that obnoxious friend who overstays their welcome at a party and then leaves you to deal with the aftermath. Congeners can taste great. They're chemical compounds formed during the fermentation process that give alcohol its distinct flavour and colour. Darker spirits, like red wine, whiskey, and brandy, are notorious for their high congener content.
The Hangover Hierarchy: Light vs. Dark Spirits
The clearer the spirit, with the least amount of impurities, the better. When distilling alcohol, as the steam pushes out the first drops of alcohol (the heads), it is full of impurities that can cause hangovers such as Methanol. Ideally, this should be discarded, but being up to 10 percent of the run, that might be too much of a cost for some. The end of the distilling run (the tails) can have impurities too and should also be discarded unless you prefer quantity over quality.
The second contributor to your potential misery if you overindulge (and don’t do that, homies!) are the aforementioned congeners. The most forgettable-sounding new word you will ever forget by tomorrow. But basically, congeners are the other compounds in darker drinks. The amount of congeners depends upon the original sugar or carbohydrate sources used to make alcohol. Examples include cereal grains for beer or grapes for wine. Congeners can give beverages a certain taste and flavour.
Examples of congeners the distillation process can make include:
- acids
- alcohols, such as isobutylene alcohol, which smells sweet
- aldehydes, such as acetaldehyde, which often have a fruity smell present in bourbons and rums
- esters
- ketones
Gin, vodka, and clear rum are the noble knights. These spirits undergo multiple rounds of distillation and filtration, leaving them with remarkably lower congener content. Think of them as the minimalist monks of the alcohol world – stripped down, pure, and less likely to leave you groaning in bed the next day.
Now, imagine you're in a medieval tavern filled with laughter, intrigue, and the promise of a wild time. Enter dark spirits – brandy, bourbon, and their kin. They're like the life of the party, full of robust flavours and character, but they also pack a congener wallop that can leave your brain feeling like it went bungee jumping without your permission.
Hangover Prevention: A Toast to Hydration and Moderation
Hydration is your trusty sword – alternate drinks with water to keep your head clear and your dance moves intact. Moderation, the shield of wisdom, shall safeguard you from the clutches of an epic hangover. Then choose the cleanest of spirits. And if you haven’t guessed who makes the cleanest of the clean, then we have wasted our time asking ChatGPT to write a blog, reading it, deciding it was terrible, and then writing something ourselves using our own human brain that has suffered from the above conditions before.
Till next time, homies. May your sips be smooth, your nights joyful, and your mornings free from pounding pixie percussion.
