Hangover cures uncorked at Las Vegas convention

By Melissa Arseniuk

Friday, March 6, 2009 | 6:34 p.m.

If you noticed an abundance of people wearing sunglasses indoors this week, there was a reason for it: The annual Nightclub and Bar convention was in town.

The annual expo is the largest nightlife industry trade show of its kind and attracted club owners, bartenders, alcohol distillers and industry suppliers from around the world.

While this year’s show was muted compared to the ones that came before it, there was still a sufficient amount of parties, mixers and events at Vegas’ best bars and the biggest clubs kept conference goers up all night and very tired the next morning.

This conference is one of the few where speakers often open their presentations by thanking the crowd for “getting up so early” when, in reality, the session started well after 11 a.m. or even noon.

Still, who can fault party-hardy club owners and bartenders? They came to Vegas on business, and their business is having a good time. A little mixing, shaking and stirring of business with pleasure isn’t only expected – it’s encouraged.

I was reminded of this while riding an elevator at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Thursday morning. It was about 11 a.m. and when the lift stopped at the eighth floor, two men who looked to be in their late 20s or early 30s walked in.

They were wearing the unofficial club conference goers’ morning uniform: sandals, cargo shorts, T-shirts and dark sunglasses.

After four days and four late nights of cocktails, club tours and booze, booze, booze, they, along with throngs of other convention goers, dragged themselves out of bed this morning and started making their way home.

As the elevator resumed its decent, one of the guys leaned his throbbing head against the metal elevator door.

“I want to diiiiiie!!!” he cried, perhaps only half-kidding, as he wallowed in what was surely a massive hangover.

It didn’t have to end this way.

Had he not been so busy partying – or perhaps trying all the alcohol-infused samples at the show – he might have noticed the handful of anti-hangover tonics at NCB.

Hangover remedies were almost as prevalent as energy drinks at this year’s expo. If you, too, didn’t catch them for yourself, here’s an overview of what you missed:

Potassium glucarate-rich GTox, a citrus-flavored “hangover blocker” that “enhances the body’s natural response to the removal of toxins, such as alcohol.”

The rep claimed one 4-ounce bottle had the healing power of “10 grapefruit, a bag of cherries and a couple of apples.”

Its manufacturers claim “real science” has allowed them to block the absorption of beta glucoronidase using a shot of the naturally-occurring phytochemical, glucarate.

This, they say, helps the body block and flush beta-G, which slows the processing of alcohol, and prevent the morning-after blahs.

“Unlike any other hangover gimmick … real science … separates GTox from imitators by blocking your hangover before it ever happens,” its promotional flier states.

Each four-ounce bottle has enough glucarate to offset the after-effects of three to four drinks. When taken at the end of the night, it promises to fight your hangover while you sleep to clear the way for a bright-eyed and pleasant morning.

A shot of Cheerz IntelliShot is also good for three or four bevvies, and its makers also claim to have science on their side. One of the potion’s spokesmen is a liver transplant surgeon, while another is a M.D.

L-glutamine, N-acetyl cysteine, succinic acid, L-alanine, silymarin, L-malic acid, and an ascorbic acid substitute known as calcium ascorbate are all on Cheerz’ list of “super-antioxidants and immune system boosters.”

This collection is united within a lemon-lime liquid with one goal: to fight the evil that is alcohol’s primary metabolite, acetaldehyde.

The developers believe acetaldehyde is the menace behind the headache, nausea, muscle pain, etc. that is often encountered after a night of drinking.

When taken the morning after the night that was, it effectively serves as the accidental bender’s morning-after pill.

Boozer, meanwhile, also claims to be a post-party miracle cure.

Gerard Harsy is one of the two pharmacists who developed the tonic. He compared Boozer to the so-called “banana bag” IVs that are used to treat alcohol-poisoned partiers in the ER.

Since it’s taken orally and not intravenously, however, Harsy said it takes about 45 minutes to kick in.

Boozer comes in an 8.4-ounce can reminiscent of Red Bull and packs a super dose of vitamins.

One can has 100 percent of your recommended daily value of Vitamin A; 330 percent of your Thiamin; 500 percent of your B-6; 420 percent of your Vitamin C; and 290 percent of your Riboflavin.

(Red Bull, meanwhile, has 100% of your Niacin, 80% of your B-12, and 250% of your B6.)

Boozer and Red Bull both have 110 calories per can and nearly six teaspoons of sugar (Red Bull has 27 grams and Boozer has 28 grams) but unlike its highly-caffeinated counterpart, there is no sugar-free version of Boozer.

Harsy’s concoction also includes milk thistle, grape seed and ginger root extracts, which, when combined with the others, “facilitates the metabolism of toxins and replenishes the essential nutrients.”

Drinkin’ Mate comes in tablet form and, when mixed with water, “defends against aches, fatigue, queasy stomach and dehydration.”

Its patented formula contains 1,000 milligrams of guava leaf extract. Once mixed, it tastes like wild berry.

The packaging states one “effervescent tablet” is all you need to defend yourself against a hangover.

The people selling Gnar pomegranate juice said that their product, which is 100 percent reconstructed pomegranate juice and packs 156 calories per 250 milliliter serving, is also good for hangover relief.

It’s no secret that pomegranates are packed with health-helping, immunity-boosting antioxidants – yet the rep conceded that “if you have 10 drinks, you’re going to feel like crap” – no matter how much of the stuff you consume.

Still, Gnar makes for a tasty, natural mixer and the antioxidants certainly won’t hurt you.

Beyond hangover remedies, there were two other canned wonders at the NCB worth mentioning.

Unlike Red Bull, Monster, or any of the other energy drinks on the floor, however, Malava Novocaine and Drank have the opposite effect. Both promise a chill out that won’t make you check-out; they calm you down without putting you to sleep.

“It mellows out angry drunks,” the Malava rep said. “I give it to my wife,” he joked.

Malava promises “all the cool without the drool,” and is recommended for consumption “before the dentist, the big date, visiting the in-laws, exams, performances, dealing with the boss, shopping, traveling, or any time you feel stressed out.”

“Don’t stress, go numb,” the can suggests.

The beverage includes natural Polynesian kava extract, which is said to be the relaxation agent.

“Kava itself tastes like crap … it’s very muddy water-tasting,” the rep admitted.

Thanks to a tropical berry-flavor, however, the mud taste is hard to detect. An orange-mango variety is also in the works.

The relaxing beverage is available for $2.99 at most 7-11 stores and is also available to the club set at Pure and the Hard Rock.

Instead of relying on exotic extracts, Drank uses “natural” melatonin to mellow out.

It also contains valerian root and rose hips, and tastes like grape soda.

“Drank is a refreshing change-up in a world of energy drinks, giving you a chance to relax without alcohol or medication,” promotional materials state.

While it claims to be the “industry’s first extreme relaxation beverage,” it won’t be widely available until later this year.