Best beer for no hangover

JC 2K3 · 11-03-2009 12:15am

Units are directly proportional to volume.....

Reading some of the replies on here you'd swear alcohol had nothing to do with a hangover at all....

PWEI · 11-03-2009 1:44am

Locamon wrote: »

I have been to Belgium a few times and even took in a beer festival which was a very wide range of beers on offer and those hangovers have to be my worst ever. Now a half glass too many certainly had more to do with it but I felt the Irish body wasn't made for some of the stuff, at least mine.

German beers I found great for a lack of hangover and Czech beers were even better.

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Exactly.That's kinda of what I was getting at,well in my head anyway but I didn't want to compare Belgium Beer to German beer as you get lambasted around these parts for doing do.It's just my own personal experience of working in both countries,in Bavaria hangovers were few and far between but in Belgium they were a weekly event.Of course it also depends on the quantity and how much you can personally take but I just found even after only a few you'd have some sort of hangover in Belgium.And I'm not just talking about "mass produced Belgian lager",I only mentioned juliper pils because somebody had commented on it already.

hawkwing · 16-03-2009 12:47pm

Best--Coors Light and decent Smithwicks

GazeeboBrown · 18-03-2009 10:34pm

On the subject of hangovers, and what rubadub said about the Stella 5.2%; apparently back in and around 1994 they were really pushing the production to the limit. Sales were up, as it was a world cup year and a good summer I think. So they tried brewing at a higher temp just to get it out taht bit quicker.

The result was a lot more cogeners, and fusel oils. The combination of heat, these extra compounds and the higher alcohol % drove a few loopy - hence the Wifebeater nickname that it has been trying to shake since!

jcfegs · 17-08-2011 6:44pm

I have been drinking beer "officially" for 38 years...I have found that there are only 2 beers that do not produce hangovers (for me) - Guinness and Yeungling Black & Tan. The interaction of the chemistry and my :cool:physiology has to have something to do with the darker beers.

yoyo · 17-08-2011 9:18pm

The strength certainly does add to the hangover, as does mixing. Had 4 cans of Bavaria 8.6 (7.9% alcohol) and I was fairly rough the day after. Last night I had 6 dutch, 1 Karpackie and a can of Devils Bit cider and was fairly rough today aswell, so mixing deffo contributes to it

Nick

scooby2791 · 17-08-2011 9:25pm

I get hangovers from everything. Wine surprisingly is the one which provides me with the least pain the morning after. My trick to get rid of the hangover is as soon as I wake up, trot downstairs and drink 2 pints of milk. Settles the stomach beautifully and relieves the head aswel. Then its back to bed.

BeerNut · 18-08-2011 1:50am

yoyo wrote: »

so mixing deffo contributes to it

Case not proven, there, I think.

yoyo · 18-08-2011 3:25pm

BeerNut wrote: »

Case not proven, there, I think.

If I stuck to 8 beers I would not have been as rough as drinking 7 beers and a can of cider, I know this from expierience, also had a desperate hangover in the past after 6 beers and 4 ciders, whereas 10 beers I would have been much less hungover! Case is proven!

Nick

irish_goat · 18-08-2011 3:32pm

yoyo wrote: »

If I stuck to 8 beers I would not have been as rough as drinking 7 beers and a can of cider, I know this from expierience, also had a desperate hangover in the past after 6 beers and 4 ciders, whereas 10 beers I would have been much less hungover! Case is proven!

Nick

Maybe it's just the cider causing it?

grumpymunster · 18-08-2011 3:42pm

I have been told you should never get a hangover with Weiss beer, so long as you dont mix them. Have had nights out drinking only 1 type of Weiss beer and felt spot on the next day.
I have also had nights out where I mixed my Weiss beers via basically pub crawls they have been without doubt the worst hangovers I have ever had.

ciaran76 · 18-08-2011 3:51pm

Only ever had 2 hangovers in all my life (35yrs). After the 1st one I gave up beer for a few months as I couldnt face it again.(had mixed too many drinks and hadnt eaten)

2nd time was after drinking 6 bottles of non-alcoholic cobra beer.

yoyo · 18-08-2011 4:02pm

irish_goat wrote: »

Maybe it's just the cider causing it?

Possibly, although If I stuck to cider (although its rare I drink cider so may not be totally accurate) the hangover is not so bad the next day from expierience, I think it could be to do with the shouldnt mix the grape & the grain expression, as cider is a apple wine (maybe not technically correct but there both fruit drinks!) there may be some logic to it! All I remember was having a terrible hangover after 6 dutch gold and 4 stonehouse, wont be doing that mix again in a hurry!

Nick

BeerNut · 18-08-2011 4:36pm

yoyo wrote: »

If I stuck to 8 beers I would not have been as rough as drinking 7 beers and a can of cider

Yet drinking four cans of strong beer with no cider gave you a hangover. Alcohol causes hangovers. The idea that mixing different drinks makes it worse is an old wives' tale.

irish_goat · 18-08-2011 4:42pm

Drink a nice craft beer with no preservatives in it and you'll have less of a hangover too.

On the other hand, big brand beers can have any of these extra ingredients in them.

Betaglucanase
Ammonia caramel
Rhoiso-alpha acids
Sulphur dioxide
Protease
Amyloglucosidase
Propylene glycol alginate
Silicone

None of that sounds good.

BeerNut · 18-08-2011 5:03pm

irish_goat wrote: »

big brand beers can have any of these extra ingredients in them.

But many don't. And lots of craft breweries don't list ingredients either. I notice BrewDog have started using the weasel-words "Made with..." on their labels.

irish_goat · 18-08-2011 5:17pm

BeerNut wrote: »

But many don't. And lots of craft breweries don't list ingredients either. I notice BrewDog have started using the weasel-words "Made with..." on their labels.

BrewDog are very vocal about their lack of chemicals and preservatives though.

BeerNut · 18-08-2011 5:27pm

irish_goat wrote: »

BrewDog are very vocal about their lack of chemicals

And that's the problem. They won't list the ingredients properly because it contains things other than water, malt, hops and yeast, and they're aware that some consumers have a bee in their bonnet about "chemicals" in beer and won't buy it as a result.

If drinkers just stopped worrying about "chemicals", faced the fact that all beer contains chemical additives to some extent, and recognised that using fewer chemicals does not mean the beer will be better, we might get to see what goes into the beer we drink and be able to judge which chemicals are OK for us, and which we'd rather avoid drinking.

thelynchfella · 19-08-2011 12:55am

BeerNut wrote: »

If drinkers just stopped worrying about "chemicals", faced the fact that all beer contains chemical additives to some extent, and recognised that using fewer chemicals does not mean the beer will be better, we might get to see what goes into the beer we drink and be able to judge which chemicals are OK for us, and which we'd rather avoid drinking.

I find it unbelievable that beer companies are exempt from listing their ingredients in the 1st place.
I disagree that people should stop worrying about what chemicals are in their beer. They should be listed, whether on their label or even on their website. Not worrying about about whats in the beer is hardly going to convince companies to list what additives they use.

BeerNut · 19-08-2011 1:23am

thelynchfella wrote: »

I disagree that people should stop worrying about what chemicals are in their beer.

That's not what I said. I agree people should be concerned, and should learn, about what specific chemicals are in their specific beer. What people should stop going on about is "chemicals" as though it were a single thing that's in Bad Beer, while Good Beer does not contain "chemicals". Good Beer, even the purest, Reinheitsgebot-compliant, Good Beer, contains chemicals. At the most basic level it's made entirely from chemicals.

thelynchfella · 19-08-2011 1:54am

I'm not arguing with you, infact I agree with you, but I think you're being a bit too pedantic regarding people's use of the word chemicals.

BeerNut · 19-08-2011 2:01am

When a brewer won't list their ingredients because they fear their water treatment will be viewed negatively as "chemicals" by consumers then I think a bit more pedantry is a good thing.

thelynchfella · 19-08-2011 2:44am

I still think though, when people talk about chemicals, they mean preservatives and the likes.....I'm being presumtuous, but thats what i used to think of when i thought of chemicals in beer. Going off-topic but however!!

grumpymunster · 19-08-2011 9:00am

Technically water treatment is removal of chemicals from water through filtration or resins so cant see why any water treatment chemicals should be added to the list of ingredients (providing the chemicals are for regen of the resins or cleaning of membranes). I wonder how many German brewers still adhere to Reinheitsgebot making beer only from water, barley & hops (though I think yeast is now acceptable also).
I have no idea I just drink the stuff.

BeerNut · 19-08-2011 11:02am

grumpymunster wrote: »

Technically water treatment is removal of chemicals from water through filtration or resins

I mean Burtonising or any other adjustment of the water profile by adding gypsum, calcium carbonate or the like.

johnnyskeleton · 20-08-2011 6:28pm

Haven't read the whole thread but has anyone pointed out that the only beer for no hangover is alcohol free beer?

Alcohol is what causes hangovers, not chemicals. If your body finds that it suffers less on one hangover than another, this is due to many variables - quantity of alcohol, rate of consumption, alcohol related activities, level of hydration pre during and post alcohol consumption, general health, quality of food nutrition before during and after consumption, level of tiredness, climate etc. The list goes on. Then, there is the placebo effect of "gin gives me depressed hangovers" / "clear spirits give me no hangover". It's mostly rubbish.

As for chemicals, well, the occasional sensitive stomach might disagree with certain drinks. But much like the whole MSG in Chinese food thing, a few people have actual adverse reactions to MSG, but most people who feel ill do so because the food was generally of poor quality, they ate too much or it was all in their heads. The same, I beleve, applies to beer.

For example, a lot of people say that cheap beers are worse for hangovers. Perhaps it IS the chemicals, but more likely it is the fact that people tend to drink cheap beers more quickly and in greater quantities.

Technocentral · 20-08-2011 6:37pm

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Haven't read the whole thread but has anyone pointed out that the only beer for no hangover is alcohol free beer?

Alcohol is what causes hangovers, not chemicals. If your body finds that it suffers less on one hangover than another, this is due to many variables - quantity of alcohol, rate of consumption, alcohol related activities, level of hydration pre during and post alcohol consumption, general health, quality of food nutrition before during and after consumption, level of tiredness, climate etc. The list goes on. Then, there is the placebo effect of "gin gives me depressed hangovers" / "clear spirits give me no hangover". It's mostly rubbish.

As for chemicals, well, the occasional sensitive stomach might disagree with certain drinks. But much like the whole MSG in Chinese food thing, a few people have actual adverse reactions to MSG, but most people who feel ill do so because the food was generally of poor quality, they ate too much or it was all in their heads. The same, I beleve, applies to beer.

For example, a lot of people say that cheap beers are worse for hangovers. Perhaps it IS the chemicals, but more likely it is the fact that people tend to drink cheap beers more quickly and in greater quantities.

I agree with you, the quality and maturity of the postings on this forum are laughable sometimes.

Latchy · 20-08-2011 6:43pm

Cans of larger tend to give me worse hangovers than bottled beers and I find Tyskie to be the best .

the beer revolu · 20-08-2011 7:58pm

I agree in essence that it is alcohol that causes hangovers. I don't believe that mixing drinks causes worse hangovers - it is more the case that when people are mixing drinks they tend to drink more.
I also don't buy the gin/depression thing - if you drink enough of any spirits, strange things can happen.

I have however, over the years, observed a few things regarding hangovers and myself;
Certain beers definitely do cause me to have terrible hangovers - Paulaner being the most recent culprit (drunk in moderation and tried in moderation a second time for the sake of science). Stella Artois and Coors are others from years ago. These are beers that I will not drink.
I also found that cheap white wine has given me terrible hangovers too.

I do believe that there are other factors (residing in drinks) affecting a hangover other than the primary one - alcohol. It seems that, mostly, better quality alcoholic drinks have a less likely chance of causing acute hangovers. I don't know the science behind this but from my experience, there is truth in it.

But yes, the biggest factor by far affecting a hangover is the quantity of alcohol consumed.

slayerking · 20-08-2011 8:33pm

the beer revolu wrote: »

Certain beers definitely do cause me to have terrible hangovers - Paulaner being the most recent culprit (drunk in moderation and tried in moderation a second time for the sake of science).

I've noticed this at times aswell, I cant figure out why, not just Paulaner, if I have a few of any beer with a large amount of wheat. Anything more than 4 or 5 I'd say would give me a head ache the next day, I rarely get head aches otherwise.
It definately the alcohol and dehydration otherwise, but the wheat beer is a strange one!

Best beer for no hangover

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