The End of the Hangover?

Could it be true?! No more hangovers is a tantalising notion, a Holy Grail for many drinkers. But how could this happen, and what would it mean for the world of booze and wine?Join us as we dive headlong into the enthralling world of hangover hacks (including at least one credible ‘remedy’) and explore the new breed of so-called functional drinks, which promise to deliver the buzz of booze without the bad effects.But do these functional drinks and hangover hacks actually work? We put our bodies on the line in the name of research – and deliver our verdict.Illuminating the subject is Professor David Nutt, an expert of global renown on the effects of alcohol on the brain who’s developing a novel synthetic alternative to alcohol (Alcarelle) as well as a range of functional botanical drinks (Sentia).That said, he freely admits to enjoying a glass or two of full-bodied red at the weekend…and boldly identifies, ‘the best way to minimise a hangover’. Gold dust!‘Alcohol is the ultimate social drug,’ comments Nutt. ‘But we can improve on alcohol…’During the course of this intriguing discussion, we consider the role and effects of adaptogens as well as the vital but largely unknown GABA neurotransmitter and how the GABA system might be crucial to the new wave of functional drinks.Somehow we also manage to touch on horse-riding, space ships, drunken rats, expensive spas, the Nobel Prize, protozoa, hyper-glutamatergic state, the microbiome and whipping yourself with a birch branch in a sauna.We’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic – be it hangover remedies or your experiences with functional drinks. Give us a shout!Here are the functional cocktails we taste in this episode:Edi Spirited and tonicSentia SunLivener BelliniSentia SpiceAll details from this episode (including further wine and producer recommendations) are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E15 - The End of the Hangover?We'd love to hear from your views on this or any other wine issues - do send us a voice message via Speakpipe or you can find more details to get in touch on our website.Thanks for tuning in. Here's to the joy of wine - cheers to you!