5 Hangover Friendly Cocktail Recipes

Do you enjoy drinking with friends but fear the after effects of a hangover the next day? With these hangover-friendly cocktails, we've got you covered.

These cocktails recipes are not guaranteed to be 100% hangover-free. However, if consumed in moderation with a hangover recovery supplement and ample hydration, you can party smart with minimal hangover symptoms.

What is the best alcohol to avoid a hangover?

In general, vodka and gin are the best alcohols for avoiding a hangover. This is because vodka and gin have very little congeners.

Congeners are chemicals added to alcohol to give it unique color, smell, and taste. These chemicals are often toxic and can harm your cells and make your head and stomach hurt the next day.

Additionally, your mixer should be natural and/or sugar-free. The ideal beverages to consume are carbonated water, unflavored soda, and pure fruit juice.

What are the best best cocktails for no hangover?

These hangover friendly recipes are all vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free.

1 - Mango Delight Frozen Margarita

Hangover Prevention Benefits

Zero Processed Sugar

Removing processed sugar from your cocktails can reduce the severity of your hangover. Fructose sugar from natural fruit does not have the same effect and is good to consume in cocktails.

When processed sugar and alcohol are ingested at the same time, the processed sugar competes for metabolic resources.

This puts a strain on your liver to break down the processed sugar along with alcohol’s toxic byproducts acetaldehyde and methanol. This increases your exposure to this toxins, and makes your hangover worse.

Mango

According to research, natural sugars in fruits like Mango may also speed up your liver's removal of ethanol.

Tools

• Blender

Ingredients

• 2 tbsps lime juice (freshly squeezed)
• 2-4 Mango cubes per drink
• 1/4 cup water
• Blended ice

Liquor

• 1 jigger (1 1/2 oz.) blanco tequila

Optional

• Salt

Instructions

Add tequila, lime juice, orange extract, mango cubes and water into a blender filled with ice. Blend and pour into a margarita glass. Add salt to the glass rim if desired.

2 – Thyme infused Gin Ginger Beet Cocktail

Hangover Prevention Benefits

Ginger

An upset stomach is a characteristic hangover symptom because alcohol irritates the stomach lining. Ginger is a good option if you're trying to find a natural way to relieve nausea. It aids in digestion and might even make you feel more energized.

Beets 

Beets are high in folate, manganese, and copper, among other minerals. Betalains, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities, give them their rich, vivid hue. Beets are also high in nitrates, a nutrient that has been linked to better heart health.

Apples

Apples are high in vitamins such as vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin K.

Tools

• Blender

Ingredients

• 1 Apple, finely chopped
• 1 Beet, cooked red
• 1 inch Ginger, fresh
• 4 Thyme, sprigs
• 2 tsp Agave syrup
• 16 oz Soda water
• Ice cubes

Liquor

• 8 fl oz Gin

Instructions

Add the cooked beet, diced apple, and fresh ginger in a blender with soda water until smooth. Pour into a glass over agave syrup and ice cubes.

3 – Vodka Grapefruit Sea Breeze Spritz

Hangover Prevention Benefits

Grapefruit

Grapefruit has a lot of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants while being low in calories. It's abundant in antioxidants like vitamin C and A. These nutrients have been demonstrated to reduce inflammation and boost your immune system. This is especially useful if you use alcohol, which may trigger inflammation and weaken your immune system.

Tools

• Shaker or mason jar

Ingredients

• 2 grapefruit wedges for garnish 
• ½ cup sugar free cranberry juice
• ¼ cup sugar free pink grapefruit juice
• ½ cup ice cubes

Liquor

• 1 shot (jigger) / 60 ml Vodka

Instructions

Add the vodka, cranberry juice and grapefruit juice to the shaker or mason jar. Shake vigorously. 

Pour into a glass over ice cubes, garnish with a slice of grapefruit.

4 – Blackberry / Strawberry Vodka Smash

Hangover Prevention Benefits

Fruit

The researchers reported in a 2014 report in Antioxidants in Food, Vitamins and Supplements discovered that strawberries and blackberries' antioxidant nutrients may be enhanced by the addition of ethanol, the type of alcohol found in rum, vodka, tequila, and other spirits.

Antioxidants, which can counteract the cell-damaging effects of free radicals, can be found in any colored fruit or vegetable. Strawberries and blackberries in particular contain high levels of polyphenols and anthocyanins, which help reduce inflammation and boost your immune system. In fact, people who consume more of these fruits and vegetables have been shown to have a lower risk of a variety of diseases, including cancer.

Tools

• Shaker or glass mason jar
• Muddler or large wooden spoon

Ingredients

• 5 blackberries
• 2 strawberries
• Fresh mint
• Lemon juice
• 2 tsp Agave simple syrup
• 60 Msl low carb / diet cranberry juice (sugar free)
• Grapefruit juice
• 1/2 cup Ice cubes

Liquor

• 1 shot (jigger) / 60 ml Vodka

Optional

• 60 ml sparkling water (optional)

Instructions

Muddle the raspberries, strawberry, lime wedges, and fresh mint in the cocktail shaker. The fruit should be a smooth pulp with no chunks. Pour the vodka into the shaker with the muddled fruit and shake vigorously. Add a splash of soda water if desired. Serve over crushed ice.

Agave simple syrup

Warm 1/4 cup water on the stove until it is warm (not boiling). Add 1/4 cup agave, gently stir until the agave is fully dissolved and golden brown. When the mixture has cooled down to room temperature, the consistency should be slightly thicker than water. This recipe yields 1/2 cup (4 oz.) agave syrup, or 8 cocktails.

5 - Vodka Prickly Pear Moscow Mule

Hangover Prevention Benefits

Prickly Pear Fruit

Prickly pear has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which are thought to be due to its high polyphenol content, according to several studies.

Acetaldehyde is the main waste product created in your body after drinking alcohol. It is very toxic and can damage cells when it comes into contact with them.You usually get rid of Acetaldehyde before it does too much damage to your body. An enzyme called ALDH2 helps your liver do this. Your liver can only process a limited amount of acetaldehyde at any given time. Acetaldehyde can build up in your body if you drink more than 1-2 alcoholic drinks per hour. This will make your body more oxidized and make it more likely to get sick The theory is that the polyphenols in prickly pear will help neutralize acetaldehyde and lessen the effects of a hangover.

Tools

• Shaker or glass mason jar
• Muddler or large wooden spoon

Ingredients

• 1 Prickly Pear
• Fresh ginger
• Sugar free Ginger beer
• 1/2 cup Ice cubes

Liquor

• 1 shot (jigger) / 60 ml Vodka

Instructions

Remove the skin from the prickly pear cactus fruit and muddle it in the bottom of a cocktail shaker with the lime juice and sugar.

Pour the vodka and ginger beer into the shaker with the muddled prickly pear and shake vigorously. Serve over crushed ice.