Before you drink

What to take before drinking: a pharmacist’s checklist

Nothing makes alcohol harmless. But a few simple steps before your first drink can make the night, and the morning after, go better.

Written by Darren Lee, Pharmacist · Founder, Attune RX
Published September 30, 2026 · Reviewed September 30, 2026 · 3 min read

1. Eat a real meal first

Food in your stomach slows down how quickly alcohol is absorbed, and drinking on an empty stomach does the opposite.^[1] A proper meal before you go out is the simplest step on this list, and one of the most effective.

2. Know what a “drink” actually is

In the US, one standard drink contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol. That is a 12-ounce beer at 5% alcohol, a 5-ounce glass of wine at 12%, or a 1.5-ounce shot of 40% spirits.^[2] Many cocktails and generous wine pours contain more than one. Counting honestly is the best way to pace yourself.

3. Line up water from the start

Alcohol suppresses vasopressin, the hormone that tells your kidneys to hold on to fluid, so you lose more water than usual.^[3] Alternating each alcoholic drink with a glass of water helps prevent dehydration.^[1]

4. Choose clearer drinks

Congeners are by-products of fermentation that give darker drinks much of their flavor. In a controlled study of 95 young adults who drank to the same breath alcohol level, bourbon, which contains far more congeners than vodka, produced worse hangovers, although next-day performance was impaired about equally by both.^[4] Darker drinks such as bourbon and red wine tend to be higher in congeners.^[1]

5. Consider a supplement, with realistic expectations

No supplement has been proven to prevent hangovers. A 2022 systematic review of 21 placebo-controlled trials rated the evidence for every remedy studied as very low quality.^[5] Within that limited evidence, a few ingredients stand out:

• Clove extract. In the review, clove extract was one of only three interventions linked to improved outcomes, with one trial reporting a 42.5% drop in overall hangover symptom score, compared with 19.0% for placebo.^[5]
• DHM and Hovenia extract. Promising lab research and a few small human trials, covered in detail in What is DHM?
• Prickly pear extract. In a 2004 placebo-controlled crossover trial, Opuntia ficus indica taken five hours before drinking moderately reduced some symptoms, notably nausea, dry mouth and loss of appetite.^[6]
• B vitamins and zinc. In a small 2019 study of 23 social drinkers, people who got more niacin (vitamin B3) and zinc from their diet reported less severe hangovers. That is an association, not proof that supplements help.^[7]

6. What to avoid

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol). Combined with alcohol it can be toxic to the liver, so skip it around a night of drinking.^[3]
• Aspirin and ibuprofen. They can add to the stomach irritation alcohol already causes.^[3]
• Mixing alcohol with medication without checking with your pharmacist first.
• Driving, no matter what you took beforehand.

How I built the Good Spirits routine

As a pharmacist, I designed Good Spirits around the evidence above rather than the biggest possible numbers. Each two-capsule serving combines 650 mg DHM with 200 mg clove extract, 100 mg taurine, 100 mg choline and a high-potency B-complex.* Take two capsules before your first drink and two the next morning, alongside the basics on this list: food, water, pacing and sleep.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This article is for general education and is not medical advice. Please drink responsibly. Must be 21+.