Why does cheap liquor give you a worse hangover?

Question

Everytime I drink cheap liquor, I always feel way worse than if I drank good, premium liquor.

Answer 1

thats a good question...I think its the way its fermented/processed or maybe the location (regional vs non-regional)....it may be an inexpensive way...leading to lower prices on the shelf and more fun for you and I

Answer 2

Cheap liquor is so mass produced, that no real effort goes into making the alcohol. Bottom shelf liquors use cheap grains and most likely tap water to distill their finished products. Premium liquors put time and effort into their products which yield a better tasting finish.

Answer 3

Some cheap liquors are just cut from ethanol and flavored and are not actually distilled. Better ones tend to be distilled, and have a higher quality standard.

Answer 4

Too many impurities and too much sugar in most cheap stuff. Give me Smirinof and fruit juice any day!

Hangovers have plagued us since at least biblical times, but a spate of new remedies available at city drugstores promises to banish them for good. One, called Chaser for Wine Headaches, claims to squelch the pain associated with an exuberant evening of wine drinking; others, like RU-21, purport to prevent the all-around ennui that results from a particularly vengeful night on the town. And a new study published last month in Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that there may be some scientific validity to at least one brand's boasts.

"As both a drunk and a saloon keeper, I think it's the greatest thing since chopped liver," laughs Jeremy Holin of Jeremy's Ale House, the South Street Seaport watering hole that sells its Eye Opener Special, a $1.75 32-ounce Styrofoam bucket of Coors available from when it opens at 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. He calls the pills "God's gift to the working man." Holin, who has yet to try the new remedies, has offered to conduct an unofficial experiment at his bar.

One brand Holin might consider testing is Chaser, a pill made from charcoal and calcium carbonate that works by absorbing congeners, the impurities in alcohol that impart character and flavor. A competitor, RU-21, promises to stop hangovers by metabolizing alcohol and its by-product acetaldehyde. Both products claim terrific results, cost around $7 for about two evenings' worth, and require you to take an initial dose with your first drink, followed by a succession of pills. Neither brand interferes with the immediate effects of alcohol—meaning you'll still get drunk if you toss back enough stiff ones.

Answer 5

It's because it is not distilled as well or as many times as premium liquor.

Answer 6

In a word: Aldehydes. I was told by John Scharffenberger (maker of his own California sparkling wines) that his bubbly did not have aldehydes and therefore would not cause headaches. I assume that the cheaper spirits makers are not so careful in reducing them in their products versus the better quality ones.

Answer 7

It's like cheap shoes-- it may look good, it may be cheaper, but it's gonna hurt!