The Best Types of Alcohol to Prevent Hangovers

Here at EatingWell, we firmly believe that all things can fit into a healthy eating pattern—and alcohol can be included in that. In fact, a nightly glass of wine might even provide some benefits to your heart, your gut and your mood. On the other hand, the negative effects of overdoing it are well-documented—both in the research and from real-life experience. And since you can't really eat or drink your way out of a hangover, it's best to just avoid them altogether.

But do certain types of alcohol lend themselves to nasty symptoms—like headaches, fatigue and dehydration—more than others? And can what type of booze you choose affect how you feel the next day?

Everyone's tolerance to alcohol is different, and some people find they respond to certain types of alcohol in different ways. Whether or not you're sipping alongside some snacks can also impact how what you're imbibing affects you. Ultimately, there are a lot of factors to consider. We dove into the research to learn more.

What About Alcohol Causes Hangovers?

In the fermentation and distillation process, yeast converts sugars into ethyl alcohol, also known as ethanol. Ethanol determines the "strength," or alcohol percentage, of a beverage. But ethanol isn't the only compound made when yeasts break down the original carbohydrates in a beverage. All other compounds created in the fermentation and distillation of alcohol are called congeners.

The amount and type of congener present depends on the carbohydrate used for fermentation, like grains for beer, grapes for wine or potatoes for vodka. The distillation process also can influence how many congeners are left in the final beverage. Congeners can influence flavor, aroma, appearance and other drink characteristics.

Congeners' Role in Hangovers

One notable congener compound is methanol. A high concentration of methanol (or congeners in general) is thought to contribute to hangover severity and symptoms, although research is not yet clear on this topic.

A 2021 study in Forensic Science International found that participants who drank congener-free vodka still had congener metabolites, including methanol and propanol, in their urine. This is important because propanol is typically tested via blood samples in cases involving drunk driving.

Another 2019 review in Alcohol and Alcoholism concluded that several factors, including congener metabolites, inflammation and neurotransmitter dysfunction, all contribute to hangover severity.

And in a small 2020 study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, researchers linked faster ethanol elimination with less severe hangovers.

Best Types of Alcohol to Prevent a Hangover

Several factors can influence whether you have a hangover and how severe it might be. The main factor is how much alcohol you drink, regardless of the type of alcohol it is. While more research is needed to clarify the role of congeners in hangovers, we do know what types of alcohol have more or less congeners. Here are the types of alcohol with the fewest methanol congeners present, in milligrams per liter, per a 2013 review in Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology:

• Beer (≤27 mg/L)
• Wine (≤151 mg/L)
• Vodka (≤170 mg/L)

Types of Alcohol Least Likely to Prevent a Hangover

Alcohol that has higher amounts of congeners doesn't always mean it will give you a worse hangover, but research shows it might be a contributing factor. Here are the types of alcohol with the most methanol congeners, in milligrams per liter:

• Brandy (≤4,766 mg/L)
• Whiskey (≤328 mg/L)
• Fortified wine (≤329 mg/L)

While rum has a relatively small amount of methanol congeners (up to 131 mg/L), it has about 3,633 mg/L of propanol congeners, the highest amount of propanol of any alcohol on this list. For this reason, it can be one of the worst types of alcohol for a hangover.

The Bottom Line

Let's be very clear. Drinking more than the recommended amount of alcohol—one or fewer drinks a day for women and two or fewer a day for men, per the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC)—can lead to negative health consequences. And regardless of what you drink, if you overdo it, you will likely feel the consequences the next day.

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.

The best way to prevent a hangover is to drink in moderation. And if you don't already drink, there is not a strong science-based reason to start.