Bocabennington: What to....Drink?

Oh... my,

That is a difficult answer... Eggnog, spiced rum, mulled wine, apple ginger sparklers, kir royale, eggnog, martini, southern comfort, orange mimosas, blood orange mimosas or grapefruit mimosas, peppermint chocolate, spiced tea, mulled cider, Irish coffee or brandied coco.

All strong, some strong and heavy, some light and strong. Some light and relaxing.

And any drink pretty much goes with any smoke, it all depends on your palate, if it is classic or open to any adventure.

Whenever we mix fruit juice (sugar, although natural) we kick up the strength of the concoction and we get tipsy faster. A way to hold back getting totally smashed is having protein, food, before you go to the party. Prevention is better than the cure. It's all well and good curing a hangover, but wouldn't it be better not to have it in the first place?

Know your limits and stick to them.

75% of people who consume alcohol to intoxication will have a hangover the next day. A hangover is nature's way of clearing the toxins from your body, so the more you ingest, the nastier the hangover will be. The number of alcoholic beverages it takes to reach a state of intoxication varies from person to person and knowing your own limits is important.

For most people, the most pleasant moment is when the first drink one kicks in, Blood-alcohol level around .05, and drinking more at that time just moves you away from the "sweet spot." At one per hour, your blood alcohol level will tend to stay in that range, resulting in more pleasant feeling and less likelihood of doing something stupid. It is recommended that you don't have more than three beverages in any 1 to 2 hour period, and no more than five beverages in one night. Here is the great reason why...

Pay attention how different types of alcohol affect you. No matter what the studies say, each person's ability to metabolize alcohol differs and you'll know by experience which beer, wine, spirit, or liqueur works for you or plays havoc with your body. Listen to your own body's reactions and take care accordingly.

Stick to one type of beverage. Staying with one type of alcohol you will not be mixing up various additives, flavorings, and other elements found in different types of alcohol, which can all increase the chances of forming a hangover cocktail. Naaasty!

Stick with light (vodka or gin) colored spirits instead of darker (brandy or whiskey) ones. Light liquors have fewer "congeners" (a toxic chemical element of alcohol that gives it its distinctive characteristics), which contributes to hangovers. Of which red wine is the worst! Here is a list in decreasing color of the type of liquor that will give you from a horrible to a bearable hangover.Brandy, red wine, rum, whiskey, white wine, gin, vodka, and pure ethanol. LOL... yeah the last one is really not recommended...lol

Most important of all is to stay hydrated. Drink water and a lot of it! Alcohol has a tendency to dry you up like a prune!