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Who doesn’t love sipping on a cocktail during a night out? A nice cocktail can help you unwind after a long day or perk up a night out. What is less well-loved is that pesky, almost inevitable hangover that creeps in the next morning. Headaches, stomach troubles, and general malaise are its calling cards, and everyone, it seems, has their own recipe for fixing (or avoiding) its symptoms. Some people take ibuprofen before bed; others drink glasses of water between alcoholic beverages. The morning after, you can find some people sipping on Gatorade (or other electrolyte drinks) or wearing sunglasses to avoid the accompanying light sensitivity. But what if there was a way for you to avoid a hangover before it happens while also perking up your cocktail on the cheap? Well, there is.
Liquid IV, an electrolyte drink additive powder often used to help recover liquids, might just be your perfect companion for your next night out. Simply pack a few envelopes of Liquid IV powder into your purse or pocket and order a simple cocktail, such as a gin or vodka and soda. Then, take your Liquid IV and pour it into the drink, stir, and enjoy! The Liquid IV pack will help infuse your drink with flavor, while also adding in a punch of electrolytes that might help stave off a hangover. Plus, adding the powder to a simple drink, such as a vodka soda, will allow you to enjoy a full flavored drink at a much lower cost.
Does this hack work?
Now, if you’re adding Liquid IV to your drink simply for flavor, it’s pretty clear that this hack works. After all, the powder has flavor and, once added to your drink, will create a whole new flavor profile. With flavors such as passion fruit, piña colada, or the Popsicle-inspired Firecracker, it’s easy to make your simple vodka, gin, or tequila and soda into a great tasting cocktail, just by adding Liquid IV and stirring to combine. However, as to whether that added Liquid IV can save you from a hangover, well, that’s a bit more complicated.
The causes of the cluster of symptoms that constitute what is known as a hangover are manifold. Consuming alcohol can cause many reactions throughout the body, from general inflammation, to dehydration, stomach irritation, and interruption of sleep. Now, Liquid IV cannot address all of these hangover components. However, it can help with dehydration, as the drink contains electrolytes that help your body to properly and more efficiently rehydrate. Liquid IV also has Cellular Transport Technology, or CTT, which can further speed up the hydration process. So, adding it to your drink might help you to better be able to maintain your hydration levels while drinking. Many online have used this hack and swear by it as a way to prevent hangovers (Liquid IV is also often found in the new BORG trend, sweeping college campuses). However, it isn’t exactly a magic bullet, and it can only effectively target one aspect of what causes hangovers. So, this hack probably works best as a flavor enhancer rather than an all-in-one hangover prevention.
Tips for ordering
Okay, so this hack is simple enough. However, there are a few pointers to keep in mind in order maximize your drink’s flavor potential. For starters, this hack won’t work for just any cocktail. For example, you should not add Liquid IV to a more complex cocktail, such as a margarita or a hurricane, as it might overwhelm other flavors. Plus, a big upside of this trick is its thrifty nature and ability to add flavor (without cost) to simpler drinks, so adding it to a simple, two-ingredient soda water-based drink is probably best.
You can even use your Liquid IV to replicate certain cocktails if you so please. For example, if you order a tequila and soda and add in a lime flavored Liquid IV, you’ve got yourself an impromptu margarita. You can even ask for a lime garnish or a salted rim to make the mock up margarita complete. You can also reach for the brand’s piña colada flavored powder and add it to your drink in a simple, lower calorie version of the slushy cocktail staple (bonus points if you add a few pineapple chunks to garnish). Then again, you can forge your own flavor path by adding in less traditional cocktail flavors, such as cotton candy, strawberry, and white peach. And some Liquid IV selections are even sugar-free, which might just save you from the blood sugar spike that accompanies many sweet cocktails. These will give your drink a unique twist that will keep you sipping and save you a few bucks, to say the least.
