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A theory I have heard in the UK is that brewers put chemicals in beer specifically to give you a hangover, so you think you must have had a good night. Whilst

A theory I have heard in the UK is that brewers put chemicals in beer specifically to give you a hangover, so you think you must have had a good night. Whilst I think that is, ahem, unlikely, the monopolisation of beer production by a shrinking cabal of vested interests is hammering beer quality here. And the evidence certainly suggests that unwanted chemicals - either in the product itself or introduced through badly maintained pipes in pubs - have a significant part to play. The article references 'congeners' as the culprits here, but it is noticeable that, eg, one can go on a significant bender in Germany and come up fresh as a daisy the next day, presumably thanks to that nation's enlightened beer purity laws.

bengale 11y ago
Could be completely wrong, but I've noticed if I drink several "craft beers" I do wake up without any headache in the morning.
- RobertoG 11y ago
  In my experience, headaches are mostly due to dehydration. You can avoid the worst of that if you drink a lot of water at the end of the night.
- bmelton 11y ago
  Should almost certainly depend on the type of beer, the ingredients, and its manufacture. Some types of beer (specifically some types of bottle fermented) tend to lead towards leaving unfermented sugars in the bottle. Sugar can cause hangovers on its own, so combined with alcohol and fusel oils, could contribute extra towards a hangover beyond just the general dehydration. I had a friend of mine complaining once that Belgian-style beers tended to cause more powerful hangovers, and halfway through telling him it was all in his head, I was interrupted by a more experienced craft brewer who interjected that it may well not be. The science of it is pretty interesting. http://www.chemistryviews.org/details/ezine/1080019/Chemistry_of_a_Hangover__Alcohol_and_its_Consequences_Part_3.html http://www.chemistryviews.org/details/ezine/1080019/Chemistr...

bengale 11y ago

Could be completely wrong, but I've noticed if I drink several "craft beers" I do wake up without any headache in the morning.

RobertoG 11y ago
In my experience, headaches are mostly due to dehydration. You can avoid the worst of that if you drink a lot of water at the end of the night.
bmelton 11y ago
Should almost certainly depend on the type of beer, the ingredients, and its manufacture. Some types of beer (specifically some types of bottle fermented) tend to lead towards leaving unfermented sugars in the bottle. Sugar can cause hangovers on its own, so combined with alcohol and fusel oils, could contribute extra towards a hangover beyond just the general dehydration. I had a friend of mine complaining once that Belgian-style beers tended to cause more powerful hangovers, and halfway through telling him it was all in his head, I was interrupted by a more experienced craft brewer who interjected that it may well not be. The science of it is pretty interesting. http://www.chemistryviews.org/details/ezine/1080019/Chemistry_of_a_Hangover__Alcohol_and_its_Consequences_Part_3.html http://www.chemistryviews.org/details/ezine/1080019/Chemistr...