The healthiest alcohol to drink, ranked by chemistry.

No alcohol is healthy. On a chemistry-load basis, the lightest options are unflavored, well-filtered spirits served neat or with soda water: vodka, additive-free 100% agave tequila, dry gin, and unaged white rum. They carry the lowest combined load of congeners, histamines, sulfites, tannins, sugar, and additives.

100% blue agave tequila (verified additive-free) is one of the cleanest spirits because it is double-distilled, contains no added sugar, and traditional production avoids the heavy congeners that develop during long oak aging. Mixto tequila (51% agave) does not qualify. It carries added sugar and undisclosed flavorings.

Three reasons: (1) 100% agave tequila contains no grain, so no gluten; (2) blanco styles skip oak aging, avoiding the congeners and tannins that bourbon and scotch concentrate; (3) the agave plant has a low glycemic index and zero residual sugar makes it past distillation. The "healthy" label is comparative, not absolute.

Vodka is the cleanest mainstream spirit by chemistry: multiple distillations and carbon filtration strip out almost every byproduct except ethanol and water. It typically scores 2/10 on our Hangover Index, the lowest of any category. The catch: people often mix vodka with sugary drinks, which undoes the benefit.

Plain spirits (vodka, gin, tequila, light rum) at ~96 calories per 1.5oz shot, served with soda water or a squeeze of citrus, are the lowest-calorie alcoholic options. Dry wine runs ~120 cal per 5oz pour. Beer, sweet wine, cocktails, and liqueurs carry significant carbohydrate or sugar loads.

The "red wine is healthy" claim comes from resveratrol content, but the doses you would need to match the cardiovascular studies (typically conducted at ~200mg) would require drinking 50+ bottles. Meanwhile, red wine carries the highest histamine, tannin, and sulfite load of any common alcoholic drink, usually a net negative for sensitive drinkers.

Mostly, the one you drank the most of: more alcohol means a worse hangover. By type, darker drinks with more congeners tend to be worse. In a controlled study, people felt worse the morning after bourbon than after vodka at the same blood alcohol level, and NIAAA notes that darker spirits could worsen symptoms for some people. Cognac and red wine score heaviest on our Hangover Index, followed by bourbon, Scotch and sweet liqueurs.

Less than people think. In survey data, water drunk while drinking only modestly reduced next-day hangovers, and water drunk during a hangover did not change how severe it was: dehydration and hangover happen together, but one does not cause the other. Water still helps with thirst and a dry mouth.

Usually 14 to 23 hours after the last drink, about 18 on average, in a study of 811 students. Symptoms peak as blood alcohol returns to zero, and only time ends a hangover. See how long a hangover lasts for the hour-by-hour course and what makes one longer.

Nothing cures one; only time does. Sleep, water, bland carbs like toast and an antacid ease the symptoms, and ibuprofen or aspirin can help a headache but irritate the stomach. Avoid acetaminophen (Tylenol) after drinking: with alcohol it can harm the liver. No pill, IV drip or electrolyte drink has good evidence behind it. See what helps a hangover for every remedy checked.