Kite Flying

[Bar Wench]

I'm with Moz the only thing to ever hit my hangovers was fernet branca. We used to keep a bottle of it in the sixth form common room at school.

[Snoopy]

I'm with Moz the only thing to ever hit my hangovers was fernet branca. We used to keep a bottle of it in the sixth form common room at school.

 

[Grumpmeister]

At the risk of serious flamage what is a hangover like, I've never had one. 

[Bar Wench]

I'm with Moz the only thing to ever hit my hangovers was fernet branca. We used to keep a bottle of it in the sixth form common room at school.

 

My school was, well, interesting. We also used to be at the golf course bar in the mornings with the English and business studies teachers having coffee and brandy for breakfast. 

[Snoopy]

At the risk of serious flamage what is a hangover like, I've never had one. 

You know the depth of a hangover by the vehemence at which you declare "I'll never touch another drop".
Hangovers do vary in intensity depending on (a) how much you consumed and (b) what it was you were drinking.
I have found there is a point at which you can stop drinking and thus avoid the hangover. This can vary from person to person but from personal experimentation I have found that when my tongue is working but my brain is not then I have almost had enough. When everyone is my friend then I should really stop drinking but when my arms can still run for the last bus but my legs can't ~ then I have had too much. If the following morning I cannot remember anything I was drinking wine or spirits. If I have a pounding head then it was beer or lager. If I can remember nothing, am covered in bruises, have a pounding head and my legs still won't work ~ it was cider. If I do not recognise whoever is sharing the bed with me I don't care what I was drinking .... I only hope she can make breakfast 'cos I sure as hell don't feel like cooking.

[Grumpmeister]

I have a feeling that the only reason I've never had one is that when I've been on the town I'm normally thirsty as hell when I get back so end up having a couple of pints of water.

Given that the worst hangovers I've seen people have were med students when I was a student nurse. (There was a rumour about some of them using saline drips so that they would be able to not look hungover when they were on the wards the following day) I'm guessing its been a lucky habit.

[Snoopy]

Dehydration certainly plays a part in a hangover and thus rehydration can help but a sufficient quantity of alcohol can normally see that idea off. 

Funny thing is in the three years that we ran pubs I never once had a hangover. Mrs S kept score on my drinking for a few days and worked out that I was starting at 8am when I sorted the cellar, tasted (tested) barrels of real ale etc. Then I would clean the pipes and, of course, have to taste each one in turn to ensure all was well. Then I would man the bar for the day, breaks for food not required as I also did the cooking for the most part and thus grazed in the kitchen. We never did evening meals so from 5pm to closing I was behind the bar. To avoid offending anyone who said "Have one on me" I always kept "My Glass" under the bar and would simply "top it" at the pump but more often than not the "top" was a pint.
In those days I drank mainly Export Heineken or, if it was a good 'un, the guest ale. Anywhoo madam's calculations showed (as did my waistline) that I was drinking an average of twenty pints a day .... so I swapped "My Glass" for a half pint one and cut back a bit. However two heart attacks later I got the message and we sold up. Now I hardly ever drink.

[Nick]

I was drinking an average of twenty pints a day

Did you ever get out of the Gents?

[Snoopy]

Oh yes. It's easy with practice to go all day without a pee. Once you start then you have problems. The point is that spread over a day that started at 6.30am (with brekky for the overnight guests 'cos we did B&B) and ended at midnight you just don't notice how much you do drink. You just build up and up. When we first went into the trade I don't suppose I drank more than two or three pints all day and evening but when you have to keep smiling in the face of the frankly awful public day after day the drink helps.