The Tequila Hangover, Explained (and Handled)

Tequila has the best PR team in the liquor aisle. "100% agave doesn't give you a hangover" is repeated at every second round like scripture. It's half true — which is exactly the dangerous kind of true.

The Tequila Problem

Here's the honest version. There IS a real difference between 100% agave tequila and "mixto" — the budget stuff cut with up to 49% other sugars. Cheaper production means more congeners and additives, and the bottom-shelf-margarita hangover is genuinely its own weather system. But "cleaner" never meant "free." A 100% agave blanco is still 40% ethanol, your liver still converts every shot into acetaldehyde, and tequila's party trick — being drinkable as fast shots at 1am — means the dose usually outruns the purity. The label buys you a discount, not immunity. The full congener math is in the dark liquor file.

The Fix

UNHUNG is a 3.4oz party relief shot — 500mg DHM, NAC, milk thistle, and electrolytes — taken at the end of the night, built around the process every tequila shot eventually funds: the overnight acetaldehyde cleanup. Margarita night, paloma afternoon, or the "just one shot" that became a chant — same chemistry, same fix.

• Works the same overnight window whether the tequila was top-shelf or a decision
• Electrolytes included — margarita salt is not a hydration strategy
• One shot of ours after the last shot of theirs. Poetic, effective

GET UNHUNG →

The Protocol: Tequila Night, Done Right

Choose 100% agave. Read the label — if it doesn't say it, it isn't. This is the one drink category where spending up measurably changes the morning.

Mind the margarita math. The hangover multiplier in a marg is usually the sour mix — sugar stacks a crash on the alcohol. Skinny or on the rocks with fresh lime beats the slushy machine every time.

Sip like it costs money. Añejo in a copita is self-pacing; chilled shots with a chant are a race. Tacos before, not just after — the pastor is defensive equipment.

Last call: UNHUNG, water, bed. The agave gods help those who help themselves.

The Science, Briefly

Blanco tequila is relatively low-congener — closer to vodka than whiskey on that axis — which is the kernel of truth in the myth. But hangover severity tracks total ethanol first: every shot becomes acetaldehyde on the overnight shift regardless of pedigree. DHM and NAC target that cleanup; the receipts live in the DHM file and the honest ranking of what works.

FAQ

Does 100% agave tequila really cause less hangover?
Less than mixto at the same dose, plausibly — fewer congeners and additives. But dose rules everything; six clean shots still beat you up worse than two dirty ones.

Why do margaritas hit harder than tequila shots?
Sugar. Sour mix and slush syrups add a blood-sugar crash on top of the alcohol, and they hide the pace — three margs can carry five shots of tequila.

What's the best recovery after a tequila night?
Same as any big night, because it IS any big night: recovery shot before bed, water on the nightstand, real breakfast. The agave doesn't change the protocol.

Keep Reading

• Congeners: Why Dark Liquor Hits Harder
• The Hangover Cure for Bottomless Brunch
• The Hangover Cure Built for Vegas

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.