Dave Broom's Six Hangover Cures for the Modern Drinker

The main rule is to remember that this is a cocktail, not a soup, and is therefore more than the sum of its parts. That means giving it some bite from Tabasco, savouriness from Worcestershire sauce and a citric lift from lime (not lemon) juice. Then you can play about with other ingredients. Everyone has their own 'secret' ingredient - manzanilla sherry (to lift the flavour), white pepper, or wetting the rim with lime juice and turning it in some celery salt.

There are times when a hangover hurts so much that it can't be cured by a few Bloody Marys. This is the hangover that doesn't ache, but has sucked your body dry. You are a shell without any control over your limbs or vision. You feel no pain, probably because technically you're still drunk. At times like this you need the Underberg treatment. You may have seen Underberg, tiny bottles wrapped in brown paper that contain a potent German bitter. Forget Fernet-Branca, that's for lightweights, while Jagermeister is for clubbers who like to think they are dangerous. Underberg is the last resort of the suffering.

The answer is back to the pub and a drink that won't sear its way down your oesophagus, but which still has bite. A drink that shows you to be in control of your hangover and ready to emerge the other side and start this new day afresh. This is the time for a Horse's Neck. The ginger ale is great for any residual heartburn and will up the blood sugars. The bitters have a tremendous settling effect on the stomach, while Bourbon is that hair of the dog that you need (and it's sweet enough not to make you splutter in pain).

It's a drink that even looks appealing, having a sort of sunrise glow, while the juice is thick and soothing as it slips down, giving a welcome hit of vitamin C. This is a Campari with just the right amount of a bitter kick to wake you up for the day. Braver drinkers can add Champagne and sweet (ie red) vermouth to the Campari to make a Fizzing Americano. It works equally well, but really depends on how much you like bubbles as a potential hangover cure.

Sours are wonderful drinks that are absurdly easy to make, consisting of lemon and/or lime juice, sugar (ideally sugar syrup, but caster is fine) and a spirit, any spirit. The proportions of each really depend on your personal taste: try one part sugar to two parts sour to three of strong, then adjust sweet and sour to taste, though remember these are SOUR, not sweet. Though perfect on a hot summer afternoon, there's something deliciously evil about that zap of lemon tartness searing across your palate first thing in the morning, clearing your mind. A garnish of orange will give you some Vitamin C and help cut the drink if it's too acidic.

The sour's greatest quality is the way it delivers a lip-smacking bolt of pure citric flavour and a belt of alcohol which instantly banishes the taste of hamster's-cage floor from your mouth. The lemon wakes you up, the sugar gives you a boost, and the alcohol - well, we know what that does already. The key is to use fresh lemon juice. Try using equal amounts of lemon and spirit (50ml each), but feel free to scale back on the citrus if it's too mouth-puckering (maybe 50ml spirit to 25ml juice). Do NOT, however, increase the amount of sugar: this is called a sour for good reason!

Hangover Cures courtesy of Virgin Wines