"Darker alcohol — like red wine, scotch, whiskey and bourbon — will have higher levels of conjoners. "[They're] more likely to cause hangovers the following day," he continues. "Clear liquors — like gin and vodka, for instance — are less likely to have these compounds and less likely, therefore, to cause hangovers."
To avoid congeners and reduce hangover symptoms, Ms. Elliott suggests you drink light-colored or “white” spirits like gin, light rum, vodka, or white wine. Vodka is one of the best drinks that don't give hangovers.
All liquor contains congeners, but whiskey has a much higher concentration. This is due to how it's made. Whiskey is typically distilled in oak barrels which is how it gets the darker color, Research shows that whiskey may have about 37 times more congeners than vodka, resulting in a horrible hangover.
Dark-colored liquors contain more congeners — toxic substances caused by fermentation — than light-colored ones.
“Vodka is known to be the best alcoholic beverage for the most minimal hangover. Gin, light rum and white wine are runner-ups—with brandy and whiskey being at the bottom of the list.
Are Gin Hangovers Worse Than Vodka? Since hangovers are predominantly caused by how much you drink, you won't necessarily get more hungover from gin than vodka. However, congeners, which are impurities in the spirit from the distillation process, are believed to contribute to feeling hungover.
Unfortunately, there is no type of alcohol that is easier on your liver. Overall, the amount you drink is what matters. At the end of the day, the damaging ingredient in alcohol is "ethanol" and all alcoholic drinks contain it.
Compounds like congeners found in alcohol might further contribute to your hangover's severity. Choosing types of alcohol with fewer congeners—like beer, vodka and wine—might reduce your hangover symptoms compared to alcohols with higher congeners—like brandy, whiskey and rum.
This is because all alcohol blocks the action of the hormone vasopressin, which tells the kidneys to hold on to water and we wee more as a result. In gin, that dehydration effect is even greater because it's flavoured with juniper berries which are diuretic – and encourage the body to get rid of even more water.
“Some people will digest things more slowly, and probably will be more sensitive as well to alcohol,” says Dr Mehta. “As a result, you're ending up with the by-products of alcohol that give you that hangover in your system for longer, and a more sustained exposure.”
Some alcoholics prefer to drink vodka because it is clear and looks like water, and it doesn't have the strong odors that other alcoholic beverages have. Just because someone prefers vodka doesn't mean they're an alcoholic.
#4 Healthiest Alcoholic Drink: Rum, Gin, Scotch, Whiskey, or Tequila Neat. Any hard spirits without added sugary mixers are inherently low in calories and sugar and are, therefore, a good option for alcoholic drinks on a diet.
Surprisingly, -- because hard liquor is more alcoholic than wine or beer, some people can drink vodka or gin (the crystal clear, light liquors) without developing a headache but cannot drink red wine, beer or the amber-colored hard liquors (rum, and the ever-gentle tequila).
The short answer is yes, because there are less congeners (by-products to make the vodka) than you will find in whisky, bourbon or even beer and so a hangover from vodka is not as intense as other spirits.
Drinking a couple of gin and tonics in a bar is less likely to give people hangovers than taking pure shots of gin. The tonic water will dilute the drink and bring the alcohol content down a few notches.
Want to gain an edge over plain old water to treat your hangover? Consider reaching for Gatorade, Pedialyte, Powerade, or a similar nonfizzy sports drink. This recommendation comes courtesy of Kelly Kennedy, RDN, the staff nutritionist at Everyday Health.
Drinking gin won't make people feel any more depressed than if they were to drink other spirits, such as whisky or vodka. However, as a depressant, it's important to drink gin responsibly, as the drink can have a significant impact on your central nervous system.
Gin is one of the common alcoholic drinks that can get you drunk quickly. It has a high percentage of alcohol content (usually at least 40% ABV, sometimes as strong as 60%, dubbed 'Navy Stremgth') which makes it rank as one of the contenders to get you drunk within a very short period of time.