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Happy Hour: TGIF

Wildfire

Alfrescian
Loyal
Why Cheap Booze Makes Your Hangover So Horrible

It's Friday evening, you've made it through the long week, and it's time for Happy Hour.

You're out drinking with your friends, matching them round for round. They're sippin' fancy whiskey,
but you're saving money, sticking with the well specials.

So why is it, halfway through the night, you're suddenly hit with a brutal headache, and everybody
else is fine?

First off, let's set the record straight. Just because something is inexpensive, that's doesn't necessarily
mean it's bad.

When we say "cheap" what we really mean is "low-quality." That said, there are away exceptions to the
rule, and cheap stuff is generally more likely to be low-quality.

The Presence of Congeners

Congeners, also known as fusil oils, are a byproduct of the mash fermentation process. They are,
essentially, impurities. There are hundreds of types of congeners, some of which are higher-order alcohols
(i.e. non-ethanol) that our bodies can't really process.

Essentially, our bodies treat them as a poison, and a headache is a very common symptom of poison
processing.

That said, different people may be better or worse at metabolizing and flushing these toxins.

Because all alcoholic beverages begin with fermentation, any type of booze is liable to have congeners.

It is widely believed that because cheaper alcoholic beverages begin with lower-quality ingredients, more
congeners are likely to be produced at the fermentation stage.

Purity Through Distilling

Say you have a big vat of fermented liquid and you want to turn it into a high-proof spirit. That means
distilling it. Each time it goes through the distilling process, more and more congeners and impurities
(which may cause headaches) are removed.

Tito's, as an example again, is distilled six times. If you are buying bottom-shelf vodka, you'll be lucky if
it was distilled twice. This process lends some credence to the idea that the cheap stuff is harder on your
brain.

Filtration is another way that vodka brands attempt to clear out impurities. Bottom-self brands typically
do the minimum for filtration because they're made en masse, and, after all, nobody is buying Georgi for
the subtle and nuanced flavor.
 
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