The Hangover Support Society

Help is here!

So... as soon as you can focus enough on your screen, it's ok take your time... you can find the help you need to get you through the day. We will provide you with mindless entertainment, locations to buy the essential bacon sandwich, where to go for that half way through the day bloody mary, endless sympathy and how to stop yourself falling asleep mid afternoon! We can try a few cures together that may or may not work, and there's even a little bit of science.

Good luck, you can do it!

The Perfect Bloody Mary

A double shot of vodka (go on, you can do it)
A few drops of tobasco
More than a few drops of worcester sauce (anything other than Lea & Perrins is wrong)
About half a teaspoon of horseradish
A shake of celery salt (if you have it)
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
Fill up with tomato juice and a few ice cubes
Give it a good shake, or mix it round the glass alot
Some places like to put lemon or lime in too, but personally i think this ruins it, and sticks of celery just get in the way.

Drink and let the magic kick in....

As if you need an excuse to eat more...

Food should be high on your list of priorities, your blood sugar is low and your metabolism needs a kick start!
We all know the magical properties of bacon for fixing hangovers. It's salty, it's greasy, it's protein, it's delicious! Some people say that bacon, sausages and other such fatty foods can trigger the release of hormones that slow down the alcohol absorbtion. But i feel the restorative powers of bacon are surely too powerful to be overanalysed.
Go on, have an egg in your bacon sarnie if you can face it. Eggs are full of something called cysteine, which apparently helps clean up all the nasty destructive chemicals that build up in your liver when it's metabolising alcohol. Tomatoes have lots of antioxidants, so have an extra squirt of that tomato ketchup, high in sugar and salt (both of which you are probably craving) and full of lycopene which fights those nasty carcinogens (not related to hangovers, but what the hell..)

Toast is also said to help speed up the recovery process, toasted  bacon and egg sarnie anyone?

Eat more... it's good for you!

Yellow food

Nobody knows why, it's just a fact - it's like asking why is the sky blue, or how long is a piece of string. Yellow food is the best food to eat on hangovers (or whilst drinking for that matter). Chips, crisps, cheese (especially melted), pizza, toasted sandwiches, nachoes...
Of course this food group is fairly broad and also includes those foods which are almost yellow, or contained in yellow - ie hamburgers, yes i know the burger itself is not yellow, but the the bun almost is, and of course it depends how much cheese you have smothered on your burger.
The more combinations you can find, the better it is, this is why chips IN pitta bread WITH cheese is the best thing you can possibly eat on the way home from the pub - as a pre-emptive strike against your hangover.
There are of course the "lesser yellow foods" banana's, pineapple, peppers, etc while although TECHNICALLY are yellow and might be better for you (the vitimins will probably do you a world of good in your fragile state) they do not contain as many life giving calories nor have the required stodge count to get you through your hangover.

Where are those crisps...?

Porsini's

29 Poland Street
+44 (0) 207 434 1831
They can pretty much put anything you want between any kind of bread you want in any way you want.
prices are cheap and they listen to your requirements (essential if you have developed your own personal surefire hangover cure between bread)

John's Sandwich bar

36a Mortimer Street

Does a range of breakfast sandwiches - and they are always pretty busy. They are very smiley and will happily make small variations for you (such as cutting the fat off) without the customary eye-rolling. The ketchup isn't heinz, but then where is, and for £1.50 (£1 for a roll) you can't complain!

Might have to queue, especially on friday mornings!

 

Cotton Cafe

82 Berwick Street
+44 (0) 207 287 3200

http://cottoncafe.net/takeaway-menu

If you can't make it down to 82 Berwick Street, or to the end of the road, or even out of your chair, then never fear... Cotton Cafe deliver!! Yes that's right, i have been searching and searching for somewhere that offers this magical service for those really bad times when you really don't believe that fresh air, or moving, will help you.
Check out their take away menu at the site above, the sandwiches are good, their breakfast in bread has come to the rescue of many of my colleagues. Very good for a collective hangover as you have to spend over a fiver to get the delivery. Sometimes delivery can take a while, but hey that gives you time to psych yourself up.

Cafe Parisienne

Lavender Hill, Clapham

Brings new meaning to the phrase 'doorstop sandwich'. Just the job for a quick fix take away sandwich  to eat on your way to the station, or if you can tolerate all the estate agents that frequent the place, sit down and have one of their 'breakfast specials'. Brilliant value and very tasty,

In search of the perfect bloody mary - The Lowlander

Drury Lane
Nice little Dutch place on Drury lane, with a good selection of bar snacks - cheeses, charcutries, mezze, chips etc. Fairly comfy, with table service (but not the fastest) and they open at 9am! They have a nice range of beers, but enough pleasantries,
Does their bloody mary cut the mustard...
In a word, No.
For £5.95 you get something that we marked a 3/10. They use a decent enough tomato juice, but then they go overkill with the lemon and tobasco (and don't use any worcester sauce, yes i know - sacrilege) There is some celery salt and black pepper involved, and as it goes on it does get a bit easier to drink. But it is massively acidic (not good on a delicate stomach) and firey as hell, my lips were still burning despite killing the taste of the bloody mary with a nice Applebocq beer.
Go here for the beer and the comfort food by all means, but not for their bloody mary attempt.

In Search of the perfect bloody mary - 32 Great Queen Street

This bar/restaurant has no name on the outside, and inside it is dark and soothing and smells of the lovely country french cooking which is evident on their menu... the food isnt cheap (and some of the dishes won't be what you are craving on a hangover - rabbit and snails) but their house wine is £10 they have a good cocktail list. The bloody mary here comes in at £4!
So, the all important taste test....
We are not asked how we would like it, and it is made using a ready made mixture - but it seems to be one they have recently mixed themselves, not a bought one.
First impressions are - of garlic. Not sure where the garlic comes from, is it garlic vodka or garlic in the tomato juice? Its not bad, just surprising. It feels like it is made from quality ingredients, you can see the horseradish and fresh ground pepper in the drink, unfortunately it also has what seems to be the standard wedge of lemon in it too. It's a fair attempt, perhaps a bit too gourmet for a proper hangover, and i am just not sure about the garlic. Over all, 6/10