--- source_url: https://hangovr180.com/science/testing/drink-counting.md canonical_url: https://hangovr180.com/science/testing/drink-counting generated_at: 2026-06-28T19:53:17Z build_id: ebfcfef page_type: science-leaf claim_ids: [SF-01, SF-27, SF-28] --- # DRINK COUNTING METHODOLOGY *Without controlled drink type, ABV, food intake, and timing, hangover self-tests are essentially noise -- here is the protocol I used to keep the testing variable count manageable.* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. ## What "Drink" Actually Means A standard drink is technically defined as 14 grams of pure ethanol, which corresponds to roughly 12 ounces of beer at 5 percent ABV, 5 ounces of wine at 12 percent ABV, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits at 40 percent ABV. The Alcohol Hangover Research Group consensus statement is explicit about using ethanol-equivalent units rather than beverage counts, because beverage size and strength vary considerably across products [1]. The H180 self-tests used the standard-drink convention throughout. ## What Got Logged Per Test Night For every self-test night, the log included beverage type, ABV, exact volume consumed, time of first drink, time of last drink, total ethanol grams, food intake (composition and timing), pre-drink water intake, sleep window (start and end), and any deviations from the planned protocol. The test article (whatever combination I was evaluating) was logged with dose, time taken relative to last drink, and any subjective notes during ingestion. > **Claim [SF-01]:** Helps you feel fresh. † > > † These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The Alcohol Hangover Severity Scale informed the morning-after symptom inventory [2], with 12 symptom items each scored on a 0-to-10 scale and a separate single-item overall severity rating, which more recent measurement work suggests is actually superior to the multi-item composite for assessing total hangover severity [3]. (this is the unglamorous part of self-experimentation, and the part most people skip, which is why most of those people end up with self-test data they cannot interpret.) ## Why The Variables Mattered Each variable I logged was a potential confounder for the test article effect. Beverage type matters because dark spirits contain more congeners than clear spirits and produce worse hangovers at matched ethanol dose. Food intake matters because food slows ethanol absorption and lowers peak blood alcohol concentration. Sleep window matters because most morning-after symptoms have a sleep-quality component layered on top of the alcohol-clearance component. > **Claim [SF-27]:** Helps maintain balanced moderation. † > > † These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The protocol limited noise enough to detect real signals, in my self-test data at least, but only because the variable list was held as constant as possible from test to test. When variables drifted (different food, less sleep, dark spirits instead of clear), the resulting score was either thrown out or noted as a confounded data point. ## What I Held Constant For most of the testing window, I drank wine or clear spirits at matched ethanol grams (60-90g per night, equivalent to 4-6 standard drinks), with a moderate dinner consumed within an hour of the first drink, in a 3-to-4-hour drinking window, and slept for at least 6 hours. The test article was always taken within 30 minutes of the last drink. These constraints were not pleasant to maintain, but they were the price of getting interpretable data. > **Claim [SF-28]:** Supports balanced consumption of alcohol (from all sources of food and drink). † > > † These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. ## What This Page Is Not Claiming This protocol is not a clinical trial, and the variable control was tighter than most amateur self-experimentation but looser than what a published RCT would require. Without disciplined logging, you wind up with stories instead of data adn no way to tell which one was which. The protocol generated useful directional signal for me. It did not generate clinical-trial-grade evidence about anyone else. For what the limits of this approach actually are, see [Honest Limitations](/science/testing/honest-limitations). ## Citations 1. [The Alcohol Hangover Research Group Consensus Statement on Best Practice in Alcohol Hangover Research](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3827719/). pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. 2. [Measurement of Alcohol Hangover Severity -- Development of the Alcohol Hangover Severity Scale (AHSS)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23007602/). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. 3. [The Assessment of Overall Hangover Severity](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7141364/). pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. ## Read Next - [150 Self-Tests -- The Method](/science/testing/150-self-tests) - [Honest Limitations](/science/testing/honest-limitations) - [The Elimination Method](/science/testing/elimination-method) - [The Testing -- The Hub](/science/testing) **Written by Mark Scott** - Co-Formulator, Hangovr180® | Co-Inventor, [US Application 18/698,010](https://patents.google.com/patent/US20250073201A1) Mark Scott conducted approximately 150 personal formulation tests over six months to develop the H180 ingredient combination. [Editorial standards](/editorial-standards) --- These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Hangovr180® is a dietary supplement. Individual results may vary. Consult your healthcare provider before use if you have any medical conditions or take medications. [US Application 18/698,010](https://patents.google.com/patent/US20250073201A1). Canonical: https://hangovr180.com/science/testing/drink-counting