Dutch beer maker De Prael Brewery claims to have discovered the holy grail of alcoholic drinks – a pilsner-style brew laced with ingredients that greatly reduce the chances of next-day hangover and leave drinkers feeling fresh.
Thomas Gesink, the owner of Amsterdam-based De Prael Brewery, says he came up with the formula for his revolutionary beer after being challenged to create an alcoholic brew that would allow consumer to go to work the morning after without having to deal with the symptoms of hangover. So he and his team of brewers started researching what ingredients they would need to add to achieve their goal, while making sure that they didn’t affect the taste of the beer.
While the exact recipe for this 4.5%-alcohol hangover-free beer remains a closely-guarded secret, Gesink revealed that the main wonder ingredient is vitamin B12, which prevents headaches. “It is actually the only vitamin which can be dissolved in water, and that is why you can brew with it,” he said. The unique beer also contains sea salt to prevent dehydration, ginger and willow fibers, which are known to have a cleansing effect on the body.
Photo: RTL 5 video screengrab
But despite all these extra ingredients De Prael claims that the beer still retains its authentic taste, and customers seem to agree. “It is malty, delicious. Different from a normal larger beer – it has much more character,” one person said.
Gesink claims that the beer “works like a charm” but only if it is consumed responsibly. A person will still be feeling fresh and clear-headed in the morning after drinking four or five pints of it, but any more would be less effective. “Of course it would not work with vast amounts, it still contains alcohol,” he said.
It sounds a bit too good to be true, and some experts are convinced that the hangover-free beer is nothing more than marketing scheme. Dr. Joris Verster, an associate professor at the Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences in the Netherlands and the head of the Alcohol Hangover Research Group, is one of them. “This is of course a marketing trick, there is no scientific evidence that any of the ingredients prevents or reduces alcohol hangover,” he said. “The only beer that successfully prevents hangovers is already available in all stores: alcohol-free beer.”
Unfortunately, if you were planning to give this special brew a try for yourself, you should know that is is currently only available at the De Prael brewery, in Amsterdam. The good news is that if it fails to prevent hangover, you’ll be able to stop by the world’s first Hangover Bar, where a comfy bed, oxygen on tap and vitamin cocktails will help you get back in shape in no time.
Sources: The Mirror, Eater
