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One finds a expression that states, "When we consume alcohol, we are borrowing happiness from tomorrow." This has always seemed like a particularly comforting idea each time I'm dealing with a particularly bad hangover. Curiously, up until recently, I mistakenly attributed this saying to the famous physicist, simply because I read it in cursive writing over a black-and-white picture of a famous person. Quite embarrassing! I have also seen it recounted by James Corden, so which one of them really uttered it first? That's up for debate.

Anyway, since the warm season is over, most of us think that the annual big drinking is securely behind us. Autumn is like the morning after of the year. Spring is the warm-up, summer the big blow-out, and the cold season the huge, healing comfort food. Moreover, whenever I consider hangovers, I often think of the bloody mary. It's one of those beverages whose beginnings are not entirely clear, but the widely believed story is that it was created by Fernand Petiot in the Roaring Twenties, while he was employed at a Parisian establishment in the French capital.

A Classic Bloody Mary Recipe

According to a leading cocktail authority, the drink is defined as a mix of vodka, red juice, lemon juice, savory sauce, Tabasco, celery salt, and spice. That is how stickler devotees might enjoy it—and I am one of them. When you're making a bloody mary from scratch, you are instructed to mix all these components over ice, then pour them into a tall glass filled with new cubes. This means it's chilled by ice two times before drinking, but I like my bloody marys for their, well, blood-like viscosity, so I stir only minimally.

Beyond Traditional Spirits: The Rise of Bloody Marias

Cocktail purists, avert your eyes now: I've recently noticed a rise of interest in tequila-based versions, or bloody marys made with tequila, smoky liquor, or another Mexican alcohol. So I inquired of a creative director the reason this might be: "Good quality agave spirits inherently have contrasting fresh and earthy flavors that pair well with the main ingredient," he says. "Mezcal, in particular, catches the current trend for smoke-infused flavors and, with the ongoing 'upscaling' in liquors, those from specific origins are eroding the clear spirit industry, which is likely why we're seeing this change."

Furthermore, if your system can handle further challenge, climbing onto the figurative horse with a few these cocktails may be as effective a remedy as any—although I am not completely certain of the science supporting that one, apologies.

Four Tomato Cocktail Ready-to-Drink Options for Hangovers

• A brand traditional bloody mary – Affordable price (Single serve), 6.3%. One single serve container of a consistently splendid bloody mary. A touch of soy sauce truly makes it.
• Another brand bloody mary mix – £5.10 (750ml), Non-alcoholic. Add your spirit of choice, or serve as is over ice for a alcohol-free version.
• A third option horseradish and wasabi bloody mary – £14.92 (500ml), Higher alcohol. Tabasco not spicy sufficient for you? Try this one on for a test.
• Bloody Drinks classic tequila variation – Value pack (6 x 250ml), Similar strength. Not one for purists, but certainly one for mezcal-lovers, with the inclusion of spicy pickle juice.