Hangover heaven

Imagine it’s New Year’s Day in Sacramento. You’re probably hungover. So, now what?

Everyone seems to have an idea about cures and prevention with suggestions that include drinking water or eating a greasy meal. Hell, in Las Vegas, there’s even a service called Hangover Heaven, where the staff pumps saline solution into your veins. But here in the Sacramento area, Charlie Bamforth, UC Davis brewing-science professor and author of Beer Is Proof God Loves Us, offers what’s truly the only surefire method:

“It’s quite simple: Drink responsibly and with moderation,” he says.

OK, fine. But still. In the spirit of the season, SN&R sought other suggestions—ones that assumed the premise of drunken New Year’s debauchery. Here, Sac’s bar staffers and chefs weigh in on their favorite hangover cures.

Keep drinking

If there’s one hangover cure bartenders seem to agree on, it can be summed up in three words by Fox & Goose bartender Mike McClain: “Drink more booze.” His drink of choice? The pub’s spicy bloody mary with wasabi. If that fails, “Drink lots of water and eat greasy food. That usually does the trick,” McClain says. Fox & Goose, 1001 R Street; (916) 443-8825; www.foxandgoose.com.

The one-drink theory

“Don’t mix your alcohol,” says BarWest bartender Amber Padilla. But if you’re beyond that point already, “just stay up and keep drinking [and] have a little water in between drinks,” she says. BarWest, 2724 J Street; (916) 476-4550; www.mybarwest.com.

Take the ‘B’ train

Streets of London Pub bartender Kristen Germond’s preferred hangover cure is simple: “[A] 5-hour Energy [drink]. It’s got vitamins B-6 and B-12. [Take it] either when you’re drinking or the day after.” Don’t just drink any old energy drink, though: “That’s the only one with those vitamins in them,” she says. Streets of London Pub, 1804 J Street; (916) 498-1388; 2200 Lake Washington Boulevard in West Sacramento, (916) 376-9066; www.streetsoflondon.net.

Go full Irish

“Don’t drink,” says Darren “The Irish Guy,” a bartender at the Midtown location of de Vere’s Irish Pub. But if you’re already worse for wear, he recommends a full Irish breakfast: bacon, sausage, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, black and white pudding. He also suggests de Vere’s bloody mary or a special drink called the Morning Glory, which features orange vodka, triple sec, muddled lime, orange juice and Sprite. De Vere’s Irish Pub, 1521 L Street; (916) 231-9947; 217 E Street in Davis, (530) 204-5533; www.deverespub.com.

Waking the dead

“We’re big fans of the hair of the dog that bit you,” says Shady Lady Saloon chef Kevin Ritchie. To that end, he recommends the restaurant’s signature hangover drink, the Corpse Reviver No. 2, which consists of gin, triple sec, Cocchi Americano, lemon juice and absinthe. For a hangover meal, he’s also a fan of the kitchen’s Prince Edward Island mussels, served with dry Spanish chorizo, salt, garlic and Murphy’s Irish Stout. Shady Lady Saloon, 1409 R Street, Suite 101; (916) 231-9121; www.shadyladybar.com.

Smooth out the pain

Tequila Museo Mayahuel bartender Charles Connolly takes a healthy approach. The first step, he says, is to “drink in moderation.” The next morning, he follows it up with a smoothie. “The fruit definitely has some good vitamins, and I like to include some citrus for vitamin C.” Tequila Museo Mayahuel, 1200 K Street; (916) 441-7200; http://tequilamuseo.com.

Pho it up

Chances are you’ve heard of this cure: a big bowl of pho. “I always go to a Vietnamese restaurant, like Pho Bac Hoa Viet [at 1827 Broadway],” says Pour House bartender Rich Miramontes. “You get hydrated from the soup, good salt intake and carbs.” Miramontes also suggests drinking a glass of water before bed or drinking a bloody mary in the morning. Pour House, 1910 Q Street; (916) 706-2465; www.pourhousesacramento.com.