Glimpses of South Korea's drinking culture have been seen in almost every one of its dramas and movies. You'll see the characters drink soju (with or without beer) every time they have a problem, whenever they want to celebrate something, or even just a regular after-work thing. It's quite entertaining to see your favorite stars act drunk and do all sorts of stupid things.
Ever wondered how they survive those drinking sessions? Aside from having a trusty caretaker, they are handed a small mysterious bottle. They almost always don't say what it's for, and subtitles would just read, "Drink this." The scenes are quick and never highlighted, but the tiny detail is a big part of Korean drinking culture: hangover cures.
What are Korean hangover drinks?
Korean hangover drinks are usually made of fruit or herb extracts that help ease the effects of alcohol consumption. Think red ginseng, raisin extracts, Korean pear juice, and more. Some of the options help you digest alcohol faster, according to their claims, while others simply make symptoms like dehydration and electrolyte loss better.
These are not medically approved, but the industry behind producing these potions is worth billions of won. They're also advertised by top stars in South Korea. That said, they're available almost everywhere in SoKor, particularly convenience stores and groceries. We're happy to report that you'll find them in online and offline shops for Korean goods here in the Philippines, too.
According to my lovely friend who lived in South Korea for years (and is now married to a Korean), you have to drink the cures BEFORE drinking, so that your body can easily process the alcohol. When you read some bottles of hangover drinks, though, you'll see them saying it's effective whether you take it before or after drinking. My friend's advice was from experience, so I choose to believe her more than labels. LOL!
Are Korean hangover drinks effective?
During the start of 2022, a.k.a. year three of the pandemic when in-person gatherings became popular again, I got curious and wanted to try these drinks. I didn't do so by recklessly drinking. Instead, whenever there's a special occasion coming up (like a wedding or birthday) where drinks will be served, I bought a bottle of different hangover drinks. Here are the ones I tried and my experiences that I was able to document through short videos.
Disclaimer: This is NOT intended to encourage binge drinking. But if you find yourself drinking one too many drinks, these hangover cures might help. It's still best to consult a doctor if you have bad cases of alcohol hangover. Another thing to note: The type and amount of alcohol consumed varied whenever I tried, which could've affected my review. Take them with a grain of salt! Cheers!
1. Condition by CJ Inno.N (priced at P150 to P199 per bottle)
The main ingredient: Hovenia dulcis (Oriental Raisin Tree)
When I saw a bottle of this while shopping via GrabMart, what really drew me was Park Seo Jun's face on the bottle. Little did I know, Condition is actually known as one of the leading hangover drinks in South Korea. I tried it after a night of drinking soju-Sprite-Yakult cocktails to the point where I was so sleepy and tipsy. This usually meant a dreadful headache the next day for me.
@ginyn Testing a Korean hangover drink against soju+sprite+yakult cocktail because weekly walwalan is real. No filter, sabog hangover face, real review ???? #hangovercure #hangoverdrink #koreanhangovercure #hangoverrelief #hangoverhacks ? Monkeys Spinning Monkeys - Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
It was only a few days after when I got the tip from my friend that it's better to drink it before alcohol. To my surprise, though, my head didn't hurt the next day. My world didn't spin when I got up from my bed and went down the stairs. I didn't have nausea and didn't wish to die in the morning after partying. When I tried this again on another occasion (it's also available on Lazada), it worked great still! What a wonderful discovery!
2. Hutgae Power by KWANG DONG (priced at P115 to P150 per bottle)
The main ingredient: Hovenia dulcis extract
I bought this one on Shopee, and it was cheaper than Condition, so I wanted to try it. I kept it in the fridge for "emergencies." I got to try it after a night of drinking with officemates, where I didn't expect to get that tipsy. So again, I got my cure AFTER the alcohol and hoped for the best. I even ate greasy food to hopefully relieve some of the effects.
@ginyn Testing another #koreanhangovercure and this time the poisons were halo-halong cocktails lol #hangovercure #hangoverdrink #hangover #nohangoverforme #hangoverhacks ? Funny Song - Cavendish Music
Luckily, the hangover drink was still effective! It passed my four-part test (waking up, sitting up from bed, standing, and going down the stairs). Although when I tried Hutgae Power during another outing, it didn't work as well, so I'm not sure what factors affected the results. For the price, though, it's a good alternative to Condition already.
3. Dawn 808 by Glami (priced at P200 to P280 per bottle)
The main ingredients: A patented extract made with 100 percent natural ingredients including hazelnut, alder tree, licorice root, honey, and gourd
I chanced upon this in a Korean mart. It's really a splurge and the description says that it took 808 experiments to perfect the award-winning formula, so I was expecting so much. I brought it on a Poblacion night out with my friend who visited Manila from Cebu after a couple of years. This time, I was prepared and chugged down the can right before entering the bar. We had mixed cocktails and shots that night.
@ginyn Tried another Korean hangover drink last night! Took it before drinking. Have you tried it before? Maybe I should try it with soju—but probably not bec this one is too expensive—almost 200 sa grab! The Condition drink with Park Seo Jun on the bottle is still best for me. ???? #hangoverdrink #hangovercure #koreanhangovercure #koreanculture #koreancultureph #kdramadrama #koreandramalovers #fyp #fyp? ? Monkeys Spinning Monkeys - Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
You may have already guessed it, but this one disappointed me. For that price, it should deliver good results at least, right? But I was so hungover the next day—headache, dizziness, nausea, the works! Not even a big fast-food breakfast cured the effects. To be fair, maybe it was because I lacked sleep and had to go straight to an out-of-town trip after. I didn't get to drink a lot of water at the bar, too, because there was no service water (#tipidgirlproblems haha!) Maybe I can try the drink again when I'm ready to splurge…
The verdict: Park Seo Joon wins. I mean, Condition! Condition wins.
Beyond my list, there are many other Korean hangover cures you can try. Some come in bigger bottles that look like iced tea. Others are the chewable or powder kind. There are also hangover soups and even ice cream! Results will definitely vary depending on what and how much you drink, but they're worth trying if you're curious about the Korean way of life. Geonbae (Bottoms up)!
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