Top drinks for hangover recovery are water, ORS, ginger or peppermint tea, and light coffee—steady sips with carbs help most.
Low Caffeine
Mid Caffeine
High Caffeine
Water & Electrolytes
- Start with 8–16 fl oz water
- Sip ORS or sports drink if lightheaded
- Add a pinch of salt to food
Start Here
Ginger Or Mint Tea
- Settle nausea
- Brew 3–5 min; sip warm
- Honey or lemon if you like
Stomach-Friendly
Light Coffee Or Tea
- If headache lingers
- Stick to small cup
- Pair with toast or oats
Use With Food
Best Drinks For Hangover Recovery (What Works And Why)
Hangovers hit for a mix of reasons. Alcohol pulls fluid from the body, disrupts sleep, irritates the gut, and stirs up inflammation. That’s why no single drink erases everything. The plan is simple: rehydrate, ease nausea, steady blood sugar, and use a light dose of caffeine only if a headache sticks around.
Below is a quick map of smart choices, why they help, and when to reach for them. Start near the top of the list and work down as your stomach settles and energy comes back.
| Drink | What It Helps | How To Use |
|---|---|---|
| Plain water | Replaces fluid fast | 8–16 fl oz on waking; steady sips |
| Oral rehydration solution (ORS) | Sodium‑glucose combo pulls water into the gut | Follow packet directions; sip if lightheaded |
| Sports drink | Electrolytes and sugar for mild dehydration | Small bottle; dilute if taste is too sweet |
| Coconut water | Potassium forward hydration | 1 cup alongside salty food |
| Ginger tea | Nausea relief | Steep 3–5 minutes; sip warm |
| Peppermint tea | Soothes cramps and gas | Steep 3–5 minutes; avoid if reflux flares |
| Green tea | Mild caffeine plus polyphenols | 1 cup if you want a small lift |
| Light coffee | Constriction can ease a headache | ½–1 cup; pair with food |
| Tomato or vegetable juice | Sodium, fluid, and some carbs | 1 small glass with eggs or toast |
| Banana smoothie | Potassium and carbs | Blend banana, milk or alt milk, pinch of salt |
| Bone or bouillon broth | Sodium and comfort | Warm mug; sip between water breaks |
| Sparkling water | Breaks up queasiness | Flat or lightly fizzy; avoid if bloated |
| Miso or light soup | Salt, fluid, and warmth | Small bowl before heavier food |
| Oat milk or dairy | Soft protein; may calm heartburn | Try small amounts if you tolerate it |
Hydration First, Then Everything Else
Water comes first. If the room spins when you stand, reach for ORS or a small sports drink. The sodium and glucose combo helps pull water into the body faster than plain water. Pair fluids with a little salt on food to keep them in the tank.
If your mouth feels sticky and your pulse is higher than usual, you’re likely behind on fluid. Chase that gap with steady sips, not chugs. Big gulps can flip a touch of nausea into a trip to the bathroom.
Ginger, Mint, And Soothing Teas
Ginger tea is handy when your stomach pitches and rolls. Trials show ginger can reduce nausea in several settings. You don’t need capsules here. A warm cup is the aim. Mint tea is another gentle pick. Peppermint eases cramping for some people and can feel cooling when your belly is irritable.
If reflux burns, go easy on mint and citrus. Stick with ginger, chamomile, or plain hot water with a slice of lemon peel.
Coffee And Tea: Small Doses Win
Caffeine can narrow blood vessels and take the edge off a throbbing head. It doesn’t treat a hangover, and too much can jitter your heart and upset your gut. Keep it small. A half cup to one cup of coffee or a cup of green or black tea is plenty for most people on a rough morning.
If you’re sensitive to caffeine or slept badly, skip it. Reach for herbal tea until food and water settle things down.
Hangover Recovery Drinks: Timing And Portions
Match drinks to the part of the day and how you feel. Here’s a simple flow you can follow without guesswork.
On Waking
Start with water at room temp or slightly cool. Aim for 8–16 ounces over 10–20 minutes. If you feel dizzy or have muscle cramps, move to an ORS or a sports drink. A small glass of tomato juice with a pinch of salt can help if you crave savory.
Midmorning
Once you’ve kept water down, brew ginger or peppermint tea. If hunger returns, add toast, oats, or eggs. A small coffee is fine for many people at this point. Think “small first,” then see how you feel.
Afternoon And Evening
Keep water near you. Rotate with broth or a diluted sports drink if your urine is still dark. Avoid a second caffeine hit late in the day so sleep can repair the mess alcohol left behind.
Electrolytes, Sugar, And Stomach Comfort
Electrolytes are minerals that carry charge in fluid. Sodium is the anchor for fluid balance. Potassium matters too, but sodium drives the bus during rehydration. That’s why ORS and sports drinks carry sodium and some sugar. The sugar helps pull sodium and water through the gut wall.
Too much sugar all at once can backfire. It can draw water into the gut and spike blood sugar when you’re already wobbly. If a drink tastes syrupy, dilute it. If you crave sweet, get it from fruit in a smoothie with a pinch of salt.
A few people find dairy helps heartburn or settles hunger. Others feel worse. Start small. Oat milk or lactose‑free milk can be easier to handle on a tender morning.
When To Pick ORS Over A Sports Drink
ORS is built for fast absorption. It pairs a measured dose of sodium with glucose, which helps your gut carry water into the bloodstream. Sports drinks are built for sweating during exercise. They often carry more sugar and less sodium than ORS. If you feel lightheaded or can’t keep up with thirst, ORS beats a typical sports drink. If you’re just a little dry and want a familiar taste, a sports drink works fine in small pours.
DIY Moves That Stay Gentle
You don’t need a fancy kit. Keep a few ORS packets in a drawer for travel and holiday weeks. No packet handy? Add salt to broth or food and sip water. A banana blended with milk or alt milk and a pinch of salt makes a friendly first meal that rides along with any drink on this page.
What To Skip And Why
Some drinks make a long morning even longer. Here are common pitfalls and the better swaps that still hit the spot.
| Skip Or Limit | Why It Backfires | Better Swap |
|---|---|---|
| More alcohol (“hair of the dog”) | Masks symptoms and delays recovery | Water, ORS, and food |
| Energy drinks | Very high caffeine can spike heart rate and jitters | Green tea or small coffee |
| Undiluted fruit juice | Big sugar load can upset the gut | Half juice, half water |
| Sugary sodas | Fast sugar; little sodium | Sparkling water plus a splash of juice |
| Very acidic citrus drinks | Can flare reflux | Ginger tea or broth |
| Extra‑strong coffee | Too much caffeine can feel rough | Half cup or switch to tea |
Simple Pairings That Help
Drinks work even better with the right bites. Carbs refill low glycogen. A little protein and fat steadies energy and feeds the brain. Start light and build up.
Easy Starts
Toast with a thin spread of peanut butter or jam, a banana smoothie with a pinch of salt, or plain rice with broth are all friendly on a queasy stomach. Warm soup with noodles or rice gives fluid, sodium, and comfort without asking your gut to do too much.
When Hunger Returns
Move to eggs with tomato juice, a turkey sandwich with pickles, or oats with berries. Keep water nearby and sip between bites. Skip greasy takeout until your stomach is back on speaking terms with you.
Myths, Safety Notes, And Smart Limits
No drink cures a hangover. Time, sleep, and gentle hydration do most of the work. Coffee doesn’t erase a hangover. It may help a headache a touch, but water and food do the heavy lifting.
Be careful with mega‑caffeine. Most healthy adults cap the day at around 400 mg from all sources. Energy drinks and “strong” cold brew can blow past that mark fast. If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or take meds that interact with caffeine, keep intake low and ask your clinician for tailored advice.
If vomiting, racing heartbeat, or fainting shows up, step back from all stimulants and keep to small sips of water or ORS. Seek in‑person care for severe symptoms, chest pain, blood in vomit, or confusion. Don’t drive until you feel clear and steady.
How This Guide Was Built
This page pulls from respected health sources on hangovers, hydration, caffeine, and tummy‑settling herbs. Research reviews show no proven “cure,” which is why the picks above aim at comfort and rehydration first. Caffeine guidance follows federal advice on safe upper limits for healthy adults. The hydration section leans on the well known sodium‑glucose pairing that speeds water absorption. Ginger and peppermint are here for nausea relief based on controlled trials and summaries of clinical use.
That mix gives you a plan you can follow without guesswork: drink water first, use electrolytes if needed, settle the stomach with ginger or mint, and keep caffeine small. Eat simple food, rest, and let your body catch up.