Stag Night: The Truth About Booze, Hangovers, and Cures

As tradition goes, stag nights will always involve women, booze, and crazy antics. The last one is mainly because of the booze as well. Most folks know that alcohol reduces a person’s inhibition to zero making more of those humiliating or embarrassing stag do pranks actually doable.

Now, before enjoying that stag night or weekend, here are some facts that might come in handy. Understanding the truth behind alcohol, hangovers, and hangover cures will definitely make that night or weekend a lot more fun and less dreadful.

Truth be told, occasionally drinking alcohol is actually good for one’s health. Studies show that it can even improve creative thinking. However, too much of anything is really bad and alcohol is no exception.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, excessive drinking causes around 80,000 deaths in a year. Though that survey was based in the United States, similar incidences do occur in other parts of the world.

Alcohol does have short and long-term effects. Short-term effects include impaired decision making, slurred speech, risky behavior, loss of inhibition. Drinking booze also increases the risk for high blood pressure and depression.

Most folks know that in the long run, too much alcohol will affect one’s liver. Eventually, the pancreas gets damaged too. Once that liver fails, the only solution will be to get a transplant.

The Morning After

Very few folks who drink alcohol dread the morning after. If they did, they probably wouldn’t consume so much alcohol. Why do some people get a hangover the morning after? This is mainly caused by the body’s failure to metabolize all that ethanol from the alcohol.

What’s more, there are some substances in alcoholic beverages that can make that hangover worse. That’s why some folks get a hangover after drinking certain drinks or brands, but do not really get it from others.

Everyone that has consumed too much alcohol would know what a hangover is like. It comes with headache, thirst, nausea, dysphoria, sensitivity to light, lethargy, and noise. At times, it also includes heightened psychological symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Getting Rid of a Hangover

Different people have different means of getting rid of hangovers which makes it quite interesting. For many, the “hair of the dog that bit you” works. So, their solution to a hangover is simply to drink more of what caused it.

Other folks would drink coffee, pain medication for the headache, or eat a heavy meal. Some would say that “Scotland’s other national drink,” Irn-Bru does wonders for those who are hungover. Of course, Scotland’s primary national drink, Scotch whisky, may also work if it is the hair of the dog that bit you.

In truth, the only sure cure for a hangover is to drink moderately or not at all. Studies from the Department of Complementary Medicine at Exeter University show that most of the “cures” people use really don’t get rid of that hangover.

The study consisted of eight different cures including prickly pear, propranolol, artichoke, topisteron, borage, tolfenamic acid, and sugar. Among all those cures, only tolfenamic acid and borage seem to have an effect.

So, drink moderately and know oneself. Going over one’s limit really isn’t such a good idea especially when it comes to alcohol consumption. That’s also true for women celebrating their last night of freedom.

The Best Things About Drinking Beer and Microbreweries

Real men drink beer! Virtually all men will say that and believe that. Jimmy from Men’s Health went further and even said that beer is more than just beer. It also serves as a marker for where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re headed.

As stag parties go, stags know that a stag party is never complete without a whole lot of pints of beer. As a matter of fact, it is quite common to have stag parties that involve partying until the wee hours of the morning while drinking and dancing.

Beer Is Not That Bad

Though anything taken in excess can be a bad thing, drinking a few pints beer is not necessarily bad. In fact, it does wonders to one’s brain. A recent study made at the University of Illinois in Chicago shows that drinking alcohol can actually increase a person’s creativity and problem solving skills.

The researchers devised a bar game wherein 40 men were given three words and they were asked to think of a fourth word that will fit the pattern. 20 of those men were given 2 pints of beer and the other 20 got nothing.

The result shows that those who drank 2 pints of beer managed to solve 40% more of the problems compared to those who did not take anything. What’s more is that those who imbibed finished the problems in 12 seconds. Those who did not drink anything took a bit longer with 15.5 seconds.

It is interesting to note that people used to believe that alcohol muddles the mind and can block analytical thinking. Based on the results, that is not true. Though alcohol makes it worse for people to work with memory tasks, they become better at creative problem solving.

What Is a Brewpub or Microbrewery?

What is a microbrewery? As opposed to distilleries that mass produce beer, microbreweries only produce limited amounts of beer. A brewpub is a form of a microbrewery that is quite popular in Germany, Britain, and other European countries.

Brewpubs are usually restaurants and pubs that brew beer on the premises. A number of these brewpubs have been around for hundreds of years. In the UK, men became involved in brewing and even organized themselves into guilds just like the Brewers Guild in London which has been around since 1342.

In Ireland, during the early 19^th century, there were already more than two hundred breweries in the country. Fifty five of those were found in Dublin. Sadly, that number dwindled down to twelve breweries. Still, microbreweries and brewpubs still exist like Biddy Earl, the Franciscan Well Brewpub, Porterhouse, and more.

Mass Produced Beer vs. Microbreweries

Different types of beer from microbreweries and brewpubs have their own appeal which is why such establishments are more popular. So, what’s so good about beer from a microbrewery? Beer made at a microbrewery has several characteristics that make it much better.

First of all, beer is guaranteed fresh. As opposed to mass produced or bottled beer, the beer from brewpubs or microbreweries does not go through so many processes to prolong shelf life. Hence, it is fresh, higher quality, and even healthier.

Usually, these smaller breweries tend to experiment more as well since only small quantities are made daily. For this reason, beers they produce are more varied and stronger to boot! Many people can say that it also has less of a hangover compared to bottled beer. However, bear in mind that anything taken in excess can still leave you with a hangover.

Traditions and Changes in Stag Dos Over the Years

A stag party is sometimes referred to as a stag night or stag do. Such an event is held so that men who are about to get married can fully enjoy their last moments of freedom. This is traditionally held on the night before the wedding. However, tradition has somehow changed over the years. These days, that is no longer the case as it can take place at any time before the wedding. Moreover, even though those last moments of freedom are still practiced in many different countries, it is celebrated in different ways.

In the UK, it is becoming more common for a stag party to last for more than just one night. This is why the phrase “stag weekend” became quite popular. A stag weekend in like a mini holiday for the group as they enjoy various day time activities in addition to their stag location’s nightlife.

Now, there are many budget airlines. Combined with affordable packages, there are stags choose to go to other countries. Some of the more popular international destinations include Krakow, Riga, and Prague. This change in tradition is part of the reason why the stag industry has been growing.

Traditions That Did Not Really Change

Stag dos will always involve activities that are beyond common social gathering and party ingredients. It is common for a stag do to include activities such as drinking alcohol, gambling, going to a strip club or hiring a stripper. Up to now, there are still some stags that believe their stag do will not be complete without some lap dancing.

There are even some traditions that include like trials similar to fraternity hazing and pranks to play at the groom’s expense. These are performed like a rite of passage from being a bachelor to becoming a more responsible husband.

Lap Dancing… Look but Do Not Touch

Lap dancing is an erotic dance. It is performed by a topless or naked dancer in a strip club. The dance can be performed just a few feet from the patron. It can also be performed in full contact. When the dancer is dancing in full contact, she sits on the patron’s lap and grinds. Note that not all strip clubs allow that.

This form of entertainment has been around since the 1970s. It started when the New York’s Melody Theater allowed the audience to participate and called it “Mardi Gras.” This was developed further in San Francisco’s Mitchell Brothers O’Farrell Theatre when the owners changed their policy and allowed dancers to sit naked on customers’ laps for a one dollar tip. This evolved into lap dancing as we know it.

If you will be including this activity to your stag night, just make sure that the group behaves. Misbehaving can cause the whole group to be thrown out of the club. Furthermore, lap dancing already has a negative impact to society and culture. Studies have shown that the number of rapes and indecent assaults increased in places where such establishments are located.

Get Drunk and Have a Great Time

Stag parties are meant to be a lot of fun, but there are a number of things to keep in mind. First, if stag do pranks are involved, make sure that no one gets injured or worse. Second, activities for the event should be activities that the stag will approve of. Last, but not the least, it is alright to get drunk, but one should always be responsible for their behavior during their drunken state.

These days, a lot of companies in the stag industry offer affordable packages for a night out or a mini holiday weekend. You just have to choose the best location, activities, and have a great time.