Best Things to Drink When You Have a Hangover

We’ve all been there. The crazy Friday night that necessitates the rest of the weekend being blocked off for recovery time. And while there is no real cure for a hangover (other than drinking less to begin with), there are certain things that can help hydrate you after a very dehydrating night before. Here’s our list of the top 8 drinks that might help a bit when you have a hangover. No guarantees obviously, but as the saying goes, “Hydrate, don’t die-drate,” and we here at Spoked really would rather you don’t die-drate. Here are some of the best things to drink when you have a hangover.

Gatorade Cucumber Lime

They don’t call it a “thirst aid for the deep down body thirst” for nothing. Gatorade is chock-full of sugar and electrolytes that can hopefully help you return to some level of human functionality. Plus, if you have to drink a Gatorade, this one is quite delightful. If you can’t afford to go to the spa every morning after you drink, this Gatorade flavor “has a wonderfully fresh cucumber scent—like you’re about to drink some spa water” and tastes just as refreshing. Highly recommend!

Liquid I.V. Lemon Lime

Don’t want to keep Gatorade bottles around the house? Liquid I.V., contrary to its name, comes in powder form, so it’s easy to carry in your purse, your pocket, the crook of your elbow—wherever you normally store packets of electrolyte drink mixes. All you have to do when you want to use it is remove it from…wherever you decide to keep it, and mix it with some water. This particular flavor tastes like a lemon-lime Gatorade but more flavorful, and the Sporked crew thought it was among the “less salty Liquid I.V. flavors we tried, and it is pleasantly limey.” So hey, if you need to drink an electrolyte drink that’s portable (or hideable in a water bottle, let’s be real), Liquid I.V.’s gotcha covered.

Water, Silly

C’mon.

Starbucks Dark Roast Premium Instant

Sometimes it is not electrolytes you need, but caffeine. And sometimes you reaaallllllly don’t want to go through the effort of getting out of bed, let alone the effort of brewing a snazzy pour-over. Enter: instant coffee. I know, I know, sacrilege. It usually tastes like burnt dirt mixed with hot water, but we looked around and actually found one that is “instant coffee that tastes like coffee,” according to Sporked managing editor Gwynedd Stuart. Unlike many other instant coffees (including other Starbucks branded grounds), this one was “stronger than most of the others we tried, but it doesn’t taste too, too bitter or burnt.” Hey, any instant port in a storm.

Epic Bone Broth Tuscan Chicken

Some people are just built different and what they want after a night of carousal and merriment is a giant mug of hydrating broth to sip. Bone broth is full of minerals and salt that will help you get hydrated, and is also just easy on the stomach in general for those who accidentally went…erm…too hard the night before. Plus, this bone broth is just plain delicious. Not only is it “made with 100% free range chicken and carries 12 grams of protein per serving,” former staff writer Danny Palumbo described this one as having “a lovely, aromatic flavor” and being so “meaty and so flavorful” that its great just heated up on its own with no additions.

C₂0 Coconut Water

Whaaaat? Coconut water?! Yes, coconut water. Apparently, it helps with hangovers by rehydrating you with all its good sugars and potassium, and other minerals/electrolytes. Who knows if it helps more than any other hydrating drink, but the point is, for some people, this stuff works like a charm. Plus, if you like coconut water, this could be a good alternative to more sugary drinks, like Gatorade. And this specific coconut water is quite delicious. Danny says, “It is a bold coconut water. It’s full of flavor and full-bodied. It has that coconutty sweetness but also an intriguing savory quality that keeps you coming back for more.” Honestly, I may have to try this stuff (I’m not hungover I swear, just curious about coconut water in general), because that description is pretty mouthwatering.

Related: Best Coconut Water: We’re Coconuts for the 6 Best Coconut Waters

Traditional Medicinals Organic Ginger Herbal Tea

Sometimes a hangover comes with nausea (yay!) and nothing sounds good to eat or drink. Well, good news for you, friend, ginger is an anti-emetic (meaning it eases nausea), so a nice soothing cup of ginger tea might get you feeling up to a cup of bone broth as well. Plus, this ginger tea is just good. Senior writer Jordan Myrick said this tea “has the purest ginger flavor of any of the ginger teas we tried in our comprehensive taste test.” Plus, they called this tea a “perfect 10.” What more could you want when you can’t fathom stomaching much else?

Nature’s Nectar Pineapple Juice

This one is fun. I’ve never personally tried this out, but one of my best friends swears by pineapple juice as a hangover cure. Something about the sugar helping you get some energy back and the enzymes helping you to digest the alcohol better and take some of the strain off your dear sweet liver just trying to do its job. Whether that is true or not, this pineapple juice is delicious. It is smooth and tart and Gwynedd noted that it has “an almost citrusy bite that was missing from most of the other juices we tried.” Mmmm mmmm mmmm. It’s worth it to get some of this and drink it whether it helps with your hangover or not. At least it probably won’t make it worse.