6 Best Drinks for Hangovers

Water, oral rehydration solution and broth are practical drinks for hangovers: all provide fluid, and the latter two can also replace some sodium. None is a proven hangover cure, but a tolerable drink may help you recover from dehydration while your body processes the alcohol.

For more options organized by concern, see natural remedies by health goal.

What are the 6 best drinks for hangovers?

Drink	When it may be useful	Main limitation
Water	Your mouth feels dry or you are thirsty	Does not replace much sodium
Oral rehydration solution	You have lost fluid through vomiting	Usually unnecessary for a mild hangover
Clear broth	You want a savory drink with some sodium	Sodium content varies
Ginger tea	You prefer a warm drink and feel queasy	Not proven to treat hangover nausea
Diluted fruit juice	Plain water is unappealing and you want some carbohydrate	Acidity or sugar may not suit everyone
Fruit-infused water	A little flavor makes water easier to drink	Not a detox treatment

Alcohol can increase urination, and vomiting can cause additional fluid loss. But dehydration is only part of a hangover: drinking fluids will not necessarily resolve a headache, poor sleep, stomach irritation or fatigue. The best choice is usually one you can tolerate in small sips.

How can each drink help with hangovers?

Water

Water replaces fluid and is a simple first choice if you are thirsty or have a dry mouth. It is widely available and contains no added sugar. Plain water is often enough for mild dehydration when you are otherwise eating and drinking normally.

Sip it gradually rather than forcing a large amount at once, especially if your stomach feels unsettled. Cool or room-temperature water may be easier to tolerate than an ice-cold drink; choose whichever feels comfortable.

Evidence: Hydration helps correct fluid deficits, but water has not been established as a cure for all hangover symptoms. Drinking extra water does not make the body eliminate alcohol faster.

Oral rehydration solution

Oral rehydration solution contains a measured combination of glucose and electrolytes, including sodium, to help the gut absorb water. It can be useful if vomiting has caused fluid and salt losses, particularly when plain water is difficult to keep down.

Use a commercially prepared solution or mix a product exactly as its package directs. Start with small, frequent sips. Avoid guessing at a homemade salt-and-sugar mixture: the proportions matter. For a mild hangover without vomiting, an oral rehydration solution is generally not necessary.

Evidence: Oral rehydration solutions are used for fluid loss, but that does not mean they have been proven to cure hangovers. If you cannot keep even small sips down, seek medical advice rather than relying on a drink.

Clear broth

Clear broth provides water and usually contains sodium, which can be useful if you have vomited or have not eaten. A warm, savory drink may also be more appealing than a sweet drink when you feel nauseated.

Choose a broth you can tolerate and sip it slowly. Sodium varies between products, so check the label if you have been told to limit salt. Broth can accompany a light meal when you feel ready to eat, but it is not a precisely balanced oral rehydration solution.

Evidence: Broth can supply fluid and sodium; it has not been established as a specific hangover treatment. Its usefulness depends partly on how much you can comfortably drink and what it contains.

Ginger tea

Ginger tea provides fluid, and ginger is commonly used for nausea. A mild, warm drink may feel soothing if your stomach is unsettled, although ginger can irritate the stomach for some people.

Prepare a mild tea with ginger and drinking water, or use a commercially prepared tea according to its directions. Let it cool to a comfortable temperature and take a few small sips. Stop if it makes nausea, heartburn or stomach discomfort worse.

Evidence: Ginger tea has not been established as a treatment for hangover nausea. Do not assume that findings about concentrated ginger supplements apply to a cup of tea.

Diluted fruit juice

Diluted fruit juice supplies fluid and some carbohydrate. Mixing juice with water can make its flavor less intense, which may be useful if you want something other than plain water but find full-strength juice too sweet or acidic.

Add water to a juice you normally tolerate and sip it slowly. If citrus or other acidic juice worsens heartburn or nausea, choose water or another mild drink instead. People managing diabetes should consider the carbohydrate in juice and follow their usual care plan.

Evidence: Juice can contribute fluid and carbohydrate, but it has not been shown to reverse a hangover or speed alcohol clearance. More sugar is not necessarily better.

Fruit-infused water

Fruit-infused water is drinking water flavored with produce. Its main potential benefit is practical: if the flavor makes water more appealing, it may help you drink enough. Cucumber is an alternative for a mild-tasting infusion.

For a simple cucumber version, use:

1 cup (240 mL) cold drinking water
2 tablespoons (30 mL) thinly sliced cucumber

Wash the cucumber under running water and slice it with a clean knife.
Add the cucumber to the water in a clean glass.
Serve immediately, or refrigerate the remaining infusion promptly and discard it within 24 hours.

Evidence: The benefit is hydration, not a proven detox effect. The liver and kidneys do most of the body's detoxification; the lungs and gut also help eliminate waste, while sweat removes only trace amounts. See detox water for hangovers for more on flavored water.

Which drinks should you avoid with a hangover?

Avoid more alcohol as a hangover remedy. A “hair of the dog” drink may temporarily change how you feel, but it prolongs alcohol exposure and can delay recovery. Do not drive or do other safety-sensitive work while you may still be impaired.

Be cautious with highly caffeinated drinks if they make you shaky, anxious or nauseated. Coffee does not sober you up or replace sleep. If you normally drink caffeine, a small amount may be comfortable for you, but it is not a hangover treatment.

Very sweet or acidic drinks can be uncomfortable when your stomach is irritated. They are not automatically dangerous for everyone, but water, broth or another mild option may be easier to tolerate. In a 2022 daily-diary study of young adults, more severe hangovers were associated with drinking more soft drinks; the study did not test soft drinks as a treatment or show that they caused or relieved hangovers.

How much should you drink for a hangover?

There is no single hangover-specific amount that suits everyone. If you are alert and can swallow normally, drink to thirst and take small, frequent sips when nausea makes a full glass uncomfortable. Continue with normal meals and fluids as tolerated; do not force excessive amounts of water.

The electrolyte calculator can help you think about fluid and electrolyte needs, but its estimates do not diagnose dehydration or replace medical advice. You may not need a special electrolyte drink if symptoms are mild and you are eating normally.

Pale yellow urine can be a rough sign of hydration, although medications and supplements can change its color. Little urine, persistent dark urine or dizziness when standing can signal a need for medical assessment, especially if you are also vomiting. Do not use thirst or urine color alone to decide whether a seriously unwell person needs care.

Who should be careful, and when should you see a doctor?

Call emergency services immediately if someone is difficult to wake, confused, has a seizure, has slow or irregular breathing, or has blue or gray lips or skin. These can be signs of alcohol poisoning rather than an ordinary hangover. Do not leave the person alone or give them drinks if they are unconscious or cannot swallow safely. Place them on their side if you can do so safely while waiting for help.

Seek prompt medical advice if vomiting continues, you cannot keep fluids down, you feel faint, or you are passing very little urine. Get medical advice if symptoms worsen or are not improving rather than assuming every symptom is a hangover. Severe abdominal pain, chest pain, vomiting blood or black stools also require urgent assessment.

If you regularly drink heavily, shaking, sweating or agitation after drinking can be signs of withdrawal and warrant prompt medical advice. Seizures, hallucinations or severe confusion require emergency care.

People with kidney disease, heart failure, diabetes or a prescribed fluid or sodium restriction should ask a clinician which drinks and amounts are appropriate; extra fluid or salty broth may not be suitable. Ask a pharmacist or clinician about alcohol interactions if you take medication, particularly sedatives or opioids. Do not stop prescribed medication without medical advice.

If you are pregnant and concerned about alcohol exposure, contact your prenatal clinician. If a child has consumed alcohol, seek urgent medical or poison-control advice rather than treating the situation as a routine hangover.