Day-after drinks to ease your Jan. 1 headache

Beyond time and hydration, there's not much that eases a hangover, but one of the best-loved folk remedies is the old "hair of the dog that bit you" strategy. Basically, to get over being drunk, you just become tipsy. Toward that end, here are a few supercharged cocktails that will get you back to a happy place: 

Corpse Reviver: Actually once part of a family of cocktails aimed at relieving hangovers, the revivers began to lose popularity after Prohibition, probably around the time that bosses stopped ignoring employees who showed up inebriated on Monday mornings. Of the couple revivers that have survived, the combinations are usually such heady brews that they're not for amateurs. For Corpse Reviver No. 1, taken from The Savoy Cocktail Book, you take two shots of Cognac and mix them with a shot of sweet vermouth and a shot of apple brandy. Skol! The second iteration is more drinkable in the morning, with equal shots of gin, Cointreau, and fresh lemon juice. Plus, that lemon probably gives a hit of vitamin C, so technically, it's healthy.

Black Velvet: Although popping open a beer is always an option, some lushes find it preferable to combine beer with another juice or alcoholic beverage that can take the edge off. For example, Ernest Hemingway often enjoyed a morning pick-me-up of beer and tomato juice. Similarly, there's the Black Velvet, an uncomplicated drink that consists entirely of equal parts of champagne and flat Guinness. The nuttiness of the beer paired with an enthusiastic bubbly smoothes out those headaches, and it's a great way to get rid of any beer that was left on the kitchen counter at the end of the party. 

Bloody Mary: As classic as they come, this cocktail is so heavily tweaked by bartenders that standard recipes don't seem to apply anymore. Some restaurants will load up a Bloody Mary with shrimp, pickles, olives, and whatever else is handy. The spice level can also be popped up to a level that clears out mental cobwebs and sinus congestion. Of course, you can also opt for a shot of beer with it, just for good measure, before wandering back home for that post-binge nap.