Hey. Good morning. Rough night? You probably hit one or three too many New Year’s Eve parties, or maybe you went all-in during your NYE dinner (we know a lot of them came with drinks and complimentary champagne toasts, and we don’t blame you). Or it could have been all those shots you took at that concert last night. You know what? Don’t think about it, the past is the past. Just know that there are a number of great, local hangover cures you can try today, whether it’s hiring a nurse to show up at your house with an I.V. drip (true story) or the city’s best day-after breakfasts, we’ve got you and your headache covered.
When I drip you drip we drip
Because we live in the best of all possible worlds, hangover cures now make house calls. A handful of companies such as the Cure LA ($50–$399), Drip Doctors ($89–$210) and the I.V. Doc ($150–$399) now dispatch nurses who all arrive at your door with I.V. drip in hand, there to fill you with hydrating elixirs packed with vitamins and electrolytes. (Note: Probably not the best treatment for the needle averse.)
Plum perfect
In Japan, samurai and citizen alike have relied on umeboshi, or dried plums, for centuries. The fruit’s natural high acidity aids your digestive organs and liver, getting you back on your feet again. But heed this warning: It’s often found pickled and jarred and totally sour—prepare to pucker. Find them at the Marukai Markets in both Little Tokyo and Sawtelle, as well as incorporated into the mayonnaise of Best Girl’s burger.
Sweat it out
Expelling toxins by taking a seat in the sauna is an age-old cure, and the latest trend, infrared saunas, hit L.A. in full force earlier this year. Check out HotBox or SaunaBar to try this model, which uses infrared light—not steam or burning wood—to raise body temps. Just be sure to keep an eye on the clock and hydrate before, during and after your sweat sesh. (Bonus: Sweatheory takes it a step further and offers infrared hot yoga.)
Hair of the dog
The honest truth is that you’re probably just lessening your symptoms or delaying the inevitable comedown. That said, when you need help, you need help, and introducing a little more alcohol can make a bad hangover more manageable. Blessedly, we live in a city full of bottomless brunches, as well as organic spirits—hey, if you’re going to put more alcohol into your body, it may as well be organic, right? Try the locally made, organic, non-GMO VING vodka (with or without the kale infusion), or gravitate toward beverage programs, like that of Gracias Madre, which focus on stocking organic booze.
The gut bomb
Nothing seems to revive you like a hearty meal—if you can keep one down—and L.A.’s got your greasy hangover cures in spades. At Roy Choi’s A-Frame, soak it all up with a $16 all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast, in addition to the standard brunch menu and $17 bottomless drinks; grab an enormous breakfast burrito (we love the ones at Coffee Commissary, Lucky Boy or Cofax); or head to K-town for haejangguk—or “hangover soup”—a spicy kick in the mouth help you get out of your slump (find it at Yangji Gamjatang, open 24/7). If you’re looking for something a bit lighter, the Rooftop Grill at Montage is specifically offering a New Year’s Day “recovery brunch” that features fresh fare and an entire section of the menu devoted to wellness shots, fresh-pressed juices and fresh Thai coconut water to help get you feeling 100. (Full menu here.)