Shots anyone? Yes Please: Why you need the Hangover SOS this Summer

Posted on 22 December, 2014

There is a reason why December is called the silly season. Christmas Parties, social gatherings, deadlines, rushing and cramming in last minute priorities to finish off the year – that’s right, the world ends at Christmas or so it seems.

If you are anything like me, December is a crazy (but an enjoyable) time of year. As the figurehead of an advertising/marketing company, I get invited to a lot of cool events, functions, lunches and dinners. In fact, I think I’ve had something on nearly every morning, night and weekend for the last three weeks.

So, when HerCanberra’s Editor Jessica Schumann asked me if I wanted to test The Hangover SOS Relief Shot, I jumped at the opportunity. Given I’m not one that can party hard or drink excessively, this “relief shot” really has been my “party lifeline” and saved me from a few nasty hangovers.

Canberra’s Joel Fraser, the nutritional brains behind the The Hangover SOS, explains that throughout his time in the health food and nutrition industry he has gathered a great deal of knowledge about the impact our food and drink has on our bodies and developed a strong belief that it’s ok to live a little and occasionally treat yourself.

But for most of us, living a life that is an endless cycle of waking up sluggish or hungover (whether it’s tiredness or the after effect of excessive drinking) especially with a 70-hour working week is sometimes unavoidable and definitely by no means maintainable.

So using his knowledge gathered from working alongside nutritionists and naturopaths, Joel discovered a natural solution to help wake up fresh, focused and ready to take on the day after a big night out.

“I found a winning formula that my friends, family and I loved,” says Joel.

“I then took the formula to a laboratory in California [in the USA] where their team of beverage and nutrition scientists worked with me for two years to fine tune it into a product we have today that everyone can enjoy.”

The Hangover SOS Relief Shot comes in a small bottle (89mL), it’s easy to carry around and even easier to consume. It is recommended to down this shot after a big night or immediately the following morning so after our Coordinate Christmas party, I was having shots of a different kind.

“Ideally, you pour one 90ml bottle of The Hangover SOS in a glass of water like a cordial and drink it at the end of your night but we have loads of happy reviews from people drinking it at all different times of day,” adds Joel.

The shot tastes just like a Lemon Squash and goes down a treat, but Joel warns that if you drink it straight from the bottle it has some kick to it.

Having tried several tonics over the years, I must admit I was fairly skeptical about trying this especially how it would taste and whether it would work. Coming in at 7:30am on a Monday morning after a big night at a charity ball followed by our Coordinate Christmas Party, the late nights had started to take a toll.

It definitely wasn’t much fun, but after consuming the shot I instantly felt alert and ready to go.

Filled with essential vitamins, minerals, herbs, electrolytes and antioxidants, the Hangover SOS Relief Shot is also caffeine and gluten free.

“We have blended the largest allowed dosages of B-vitamins in Australia with magnesium, liver detoxing herbs like milk thistle, ginger and the powerful anti-oxidant L-Glutahione,” Joel says.

“The B-vitamins play a large role in helping maintain health in our nerves, liver and brain function, and help our body metabolise energy and combat stress.

“Magnesium aids with cell function and hydration while milk thistle is possibly the most known and used plant across the world for liver detoxification and protection. Ginger has been used for centuries to help reduce nausea, motion sickness and headaches.”

But Joel’s favourite ingredient in the formula is the L-Glutathione.

“When your body breaks down alcohol it produces a product called acetyldehyde. Acetyldehyde is known to be more toxic than alcohol itself and is a big contributor to headache, nausea, and lethargy,” explains Joel.

“L-Glutathione has been described as a super antioxidant that sits in your liver and helps detoxify harmful compounds like alcohol and particularly acetyldehyde. It is brilliant!”

Having only launched a few weeks ago, The Hangover SOS is already available in most small grocers, convenience stores, health stores and liquor stores across Canberra. But rather than run around town trying to track it down, just jump onto the website and enter your postcode to find the nearest outlet to you. You can also buy it in bulk with a discount from our online store that ships nationally. Most stores retail The Hangover SOS between $4.95 and $6.00 each or around $54.95 for a 12-pack.

So with some big days (and nights) ahead with Christmas, New Year’s eve and Australia Day you might want to consider what your ‘Saving Grace’ will be this summer, and maybe stock up on a few bottles of The Hangover SOS Relief Shot—it really will be your party lifeline.

The author received free samples of the product to trial for the purposes of this review.