GIN that may be GOOD for your liver

. . . and other party tipples that won’t give you a hangover

THE party season is officially here. And with it, all too often, come the after-effects — that pounding head, nausea and mouth that feels like the bottom of a birdcage.

However, this year, it may well be easier to avoid the pain. For Ireland is currently in the grip of a boom in organic booze and low-alcohol wines, with supermarkets rushing to fill their shelves with head-friendly products as we embrace ‘cleaner’ living.

Tesco launched its own 0.5 per cent alcohol wines last week and on December 27, Lidl will launch its ‘hangover-free’ prosecco in Ireland. Meanwhile in the New Year, Aldi will start selling two new wines at 5.5 per cent while M&S will follow suit with two half-a-percenters of its own.

One thing to note before you get too excited, though: anything with alcohol will give you a hangover if you drink too much of it. Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it speeds up the loss of water from the body, leaving you dehydrated — hence the dry mouth and headaches.

Then there are congeners, biological compounds produced during fermentation or the ageing process that flavour and colour drinks.

Generally, clear drinks such as white wine and spirits such as vodka and gin have lower levels of congeners compared with red wine and dark spirits such as whisky and dark rum. (Tannins — the mouth-drying compounds found particularly in red wine — are congeners). Various studies suggest the more congeners consumed, the worse the hangover is likely to be.

Some people are also wary of sulphites, sulphur compounds found in all wines, but in varying amounts depending on how much sulphur dioxide the winemaker adds to the wine after fermentation to keep it fresh.

While most people have no problem with sulphites, some report side-effects, from sneezing to facial flushing to headaches.

Bearing all this in mind, I’ve collated my pick of the drinks with the lowest chance of a hangover . . .

LIDL’S BARGAIN NOHANGOVER PROSECCO

Organic Prosecco Spumante (€14.99, Lidl) LIDL is launching this organic prosecco billed as ‘hangover-free’ in Ireland, which, given that it contains alcohol, sounds too good to be true.

In Britain is sold out within days. I suggest you go and grab a few bottles when it hits shelves on December 27 before it sells out here because, for the price, it’s delicious. Think lemon sherbets in liquid form.

WHITE THAT WON’T WIPE YOU OUT

The Doctors’ Sauvignon Blanc, 9.5 per cent (€109 for six bottles, obrienswine.ie) A BRILLIANT, bright white, with plenty of gooseberry fruit flavour. Opting for a white, rather than a red, will always cut your congeners, but what’s different about this wine is the alcohol content.

The man behind it, Doctor John Forrest, has used his grapegrowing know-how to make a wine with just 9.5 per cent alcohol by volume (most are around 13 per cent).

So you still get the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with alcohol, without it leaving quite such a mark the next day.

THE LIGHTER FRENCH FAVOURITE

Beaujolais Nouveau 2017 (€12.50, Marks & Spencer) NO LONGER naff, Beaujolais Nouveau is definitely worth a go if you like your reds on the lighter side.

Made from the thin-skinned Gamay grape, this is naturally low in tannins, compared with many other French reds, and it hasn’t been anywhere near an oak barrel.

Juicy and fresh with flavours of just-squashed strawberries and cherries, it’s a real revelation.

GIN THAT’S A FRIEND TO YOUR LIVER

Brighton Gin (€50, Harvey Nichols) AS FAR as congeners go, white wine is a better bet than red — but best of all are clear spirits such as gin.

Given that Brighton Gin is one of the only gins to contain milk thistle, known for its livercleansing properties, this one’s an obvious candidate.

Mild and creamy, compared with more powerful, juniperheavy gins, it whispers, rather than shouts.

Just make sure you use lots of tonic and plenty of ice to up your hydration levels and boost your hopes of waking up without a sore head.

THE HANGOVER BUSTER FROM JAPAN

Ozeki Dry Sake (€8.91, japancentre.com) SAKE, the national drink of Japan, is made from fermented rice and, compared with other wines and spirits, is comparatively low in congeners and sulphites. This one’s also labelled as dry, so is lighter in style and lower in alcohol compared with many others. It’s a good place to start for anyone who hasn’t tried sake before and fancies giving it a go.

Plus, sake is for sipping, rather than gulping, so it does slow down the intake. Just as well, given that it’s 14.5 per cent.

THE PINT THAT DOESN’T PACK A PUNCH

Samuel Smith’s Organic Lager (€3.79, thebeerclub.ie) MADE by a small, independent brewery in Yorkshire, this is a fresh, light ale with a lovely hoppy character and a touch of toffee about it.

All the base ingredients — malted barley and hops — are organically produced. This certainly doesn’t mean it won’t give you a hangover if you drink too much of it. But you can feel better for drinking something chemical-free when it comes to the main ingredients. And at 5 per cent, you can probably have two pints and not feel terrible the next day.