The Best Hangover Cure From Every Canadian Province
It turns out our hangover remedies are as diverse as our go-to brews.
The British Columbia hangover cure: Kombucha
In health-conscious British Columbia, it’s no surprise locals reach for kombucha when they need a hangover cure. The murky-looking blend of water, tea and sugar is fermented, which means it’s great for gut health and getting your digestive system back on track after a night of debauchery. To aid your recovery, most kombuchas are loaded with additional health-boosting ingredients such as charcoal and ginger. For the true B.C. experience, reach for a locally-produced brew like Spark Kombucha.
The Alberta hangover cure: The Caesar
You’ve heard of “hair of the dog” as a hangover cure? Well, that’s likely one of the reasons Canadians consume an estimated 350-million Caesars each year. Created by a Calgary bartender in 1969 for the launch of an Italian restaurant, this perennial “hair of the dog” favourite is similar to a Bloody Mary, but pays homage to Italian flavours (think spaghetti vongole and spicy red sauce) with the addition of clam juice. The classic recipe calls for a shot of vodka, tomato and clam juices and a few dashes of Worcestershire, hot sauce and salt and pepper in a salt-rimmed glass. Add a stalk of celery as garnish, and sip your hangover into oblivion.
The Saskatchewan hangover cure: Pickle juice
Whether they’re store-bought or homemade, there’s a jar of pickles in every good Saskatchewanian’s fridge—and it’s not just to satisfy their late-night dill pickle craving, either. In the Prairies, the go-to hangover cure is—you guessed it—guzzling down pickle juice straight from the jar. If you’re feeling really fancy (or need a double helping of hangover remedy), add the salty brine into your Caesar mix along with a locally-distilled dill pickle vodka.
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The Manitoba hangover cure: Herbal tea
With three locations in Winnipeg, Fools & Horses is where locals flock when they need a serious java jolt. But when something even stronger is required to clear away the cobwebs, Winnipeggers will pass on the coffee, and instead order a mug of soothing herbal tea—a tasty way to banish a whole host of post-party ailments.
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The Ontario hangover cure: Vitamin infusions
Can’t stomach a greasy fry-up, but desperate for a hangover cure? Consider checking into Reviv—a Toronto wellness clinic that specializes in intravenous detox therapies. Chock full of vitamins and minerals, the IV-administered treatments aim to restore the hydration and electrolytes that your body craves after a night of heavy drinking. If you really made a night of it, consider a “Recovery Infusion” that adds anti-nauseants, antacids and pain meds into the mix. You’ll be feeling human again in no time!
The Quebec hangover cure: Poutine
Could there be anything better than grease, salt and carbs when you’re feeling a little green around the gills? Although you can find fancy foie gras or pulled pork poutine anywhere in Canada these days, the holy trinity of ingredients remains fries, fresh cheese curds and gravy—the way it was originally made in Quebec in the 1950s. Since poutine is slang for “mess” it doesn’t matter at all how it looks; it’s how this gravy-soaked snack makes you feel the morning after that’s important.
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The New Brunswick hangover cure: Samosas
It’s not without reason a line snakes around the Yummy Samosas stand at the Fredericton Boyce Farmers Market every Saturday morning. The triangular-shaped Indian snacks made of spiced meat, potato and vegetables in a fried pastry shell pack just enough heat to help you sweat out those toxins.
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The Nova Scotia hangover cure: Donairs
The official food of Halifax, donairs are essentially pita sandwiches crammed with spit-roasted beef, tomato and onion, and drizzled with a sweet, garlicky sauce. But is it the salt from the meat or the sugary condensed milk-based sauce that helps obliterate hangovers? Whatever the science behind it, Nova Scotians know that downing a donair right before you hit the sack helps keep the spins at bay. Where to find these tasty treats? Luckily, pretty much every pizza place in the province serves up this preventative hangover cure until the wee hours of the morning.
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The Prince Edward Island hangover cure: Fries (with the works)
Islanders know their potatoes, so it should come as no surprise they’ve perfected the ultimate upgrade on French fries. While there’s no official definition of what constitutes “fries with the works,” the ooey-gooey delicacy can contain anything from ground beef or pork to peas, carrots, mushrooms or onions (drenched in gravy, obviously) atop those world-famous spuds.
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The Newfoundland and Labrador hangover cure: Jiggs’ Dinner
Our buddies in Newfoundland and Labrador swear a proper Jiggs’ Dinner is just the thing after a rowdy night. The traditional meal consists of salt beef, cabbage, potato, carrot, turnip, pease pudding and usually roast turkey or pork—all boiled together in the same pot. If any one of these ingredients is absent, it’s not considered a proper Jiggs’ Dinner. It remains unclear, however, if it’s the actual dinner that’s the hangover cure or the nap that inevitably follows. (For the full restorative effect, some folks even recommend downing the “pot liquor”—the water that’s left over after the boiled ingredients have been removed from the pot. Bottoms up!)
Never heard of Jiggs’ Dinner? Don’t miss our handy guide to common Newfoundland sayings.
