Few self-inflicted physical conditions feel worse than being hungover. The pounding headache and the nausea make it so difficult to get up, get dressed, and get on with the day. What you need to cure you is the Detoxicating Beverage, which flushes out the same amount of alcohol that you swallowed down the night before. For it to work, you need to match the previous night's indulgence glass for glass with an equal volume of the Detoxicating Beverage. Some see its distasteful bitterness as a penance for the easy relief it provides. For others, the deliberate act of drinking so much of the antidote serves as a physical reminder to be less indulgent the next time. But most are merely grateful to be rid of the hangover's terrible physical effects, and use of the Beverage has little effect on their drinking habits overall.

Side effects may include the gradual removal of the feeling of unease and paranoia that can accompany a hangover. For that reason, some people may begin to drink the Detoxicating Beverage on its own, without having any alcohol present in their system. This use is not recommended, as it may lead to a paradoxical urge to drink.