This Is Why Whiskey Gives You The Worst Hangovers

Here's the irony about New Year's Eve: People make long lists about everything they want to do differently in the New Year. Then, many of them start the first day of the year in bed all day, nursing hangovers from the night before.

While you're out enjoying a night with your friends and loved ones, the way you're feeling the next day is probably the last thing on your mind. Nevertheless, if you have to work tomorrow (or if you'd rather not be bedridden), you might want to look into some tactics to avoid a hangover.

First things first, here's a helpful tip: Stay away from whiskey.

If you don't know a lot about the fermenting process of the different types of alcohol, fair enough. But if you're trying to educate yourself on which types of alcohol will give you the worst hangovers, the fermenting process has a lot to do with it. It never hurts to know the facts.

Many alcoholic beverages — like bourbon and vodka — contain byproducts called congeners. Congeners are leftovers of materials used when the liquors are created, but some liquors contain more than others. According to EurekAlert, many dark types of liquor can have up to 37 times the amount of congeners that vodka has.

In other words, the range of colors in liquor is caused by different chemical mixtures. Each type of liquor is made with different materials, and some materials are harder for your body to digest. The more chemicals and congeners your body needs to digest, the harder it will be on your head, stomach, and overall health.

If you're casually sipping on a cocktail here and there, the type of liquor won't make much of a difference. However, if you're ordering it on the rocks or taking multiple shots, here's a helpful tip: Stay away from dark liquors.