Hangover cures #2 – D.R. Henderson (Fergus Henderson)

 

Ingredients:
Fernet Branca – 25ml
Crème de Menthe – 25ml
Ice – Aplenty

 

Given that everything associated with Fergus Henderson’s St John micro-empire seems to be gilded with the Midas touch, my interest was piqued a few years ago when I saw that he had created a ready-mixed cocktail with hangover-targeting qualities, accompanied by the rather charming back story that Henderson relates on the St John website:

“One morning at a hotel in Paris my father, Brian Henderson, was a little worse for wear after the previous night’s excesses. The barman mixed this extraordinarily effective concoction and watched him perk up so considerably and so remarkably that, when he returned the next day, Dr. Henderson appeared on the cocktail list in tribute. My wise dad passed this excellent potion down to me.”

READ MORE: HANGOVER CURES #1 – DEATH IN THE AFTERNOON (ERNEST HEMINGWAY)

Called D.R. Henderson rather than Dr. Henderson to avoid the ire of the medical authorities, the St John website adds that “while we do not claim that this bottle will cure a hangover, you may find the edge significantly cushioned.”

Added to that the striking bottle design – inspired by the excellently-named Fortunato Depero’s famous Campari posters of the 1920s (see below) – and this all seemed to me to be a winning combination.

And so it was that one day, inspired by my discovery of this new concoction and suitably encumbered with hangover, I decamped from London to Brighton to take my dear mother out for a birthday meal along with my brother and sister. The establishment we were dining at didn’t serve the D.R. Henderson ready-mix, but a quick Google brought up a Henry Dimbleby-penned Guardian article from 2013 revealing the secret recipe, and written following a well-lubricated truffle-hunting trip to Piemonte with Henderson himself and chef Mitch Tonks.

It also features this rather poignant passage of Henderson describing, in his Parkinson’s-afflicted way, the effect of Fernet Branca, Crème de Menthe and ice meeting inside the corpus:

‘Fergus tends to use words sparingly because of his Parkinson's disease, but he is one of the clearest communicators I have ever met. “Try it!” he urged, and with one hand traced the imminent internal journey of the drink – warming the throat, soothing the belly, bouncing back up and splashing over the liver. And then a shake of the whole body and a large, satisfied smile. I downed the shot, and that is exactly what happened.’

And that is exactly what happened! Once I’d explained the concept of Fernet Branca to the unsuspecting waitress – or rather, once she’d given up trying to understand the concept of that noble aromatic digestif and ushered me inside to talk shop with the barman – a D.R. Henderson facsimile appeared at my side.

Image: Vice

And by jove, the effect was… stunning. You really could feel the passage of the elixir through the body, as it seemed to pour soothing balm over my aching organs. One of those, sipped slowly and quickly followed by another, and the world seemed a kindlier place.

And lo, did hair of the dog win out again. Many thanks, Dr. Henderson.

Click here to purchase a bottle of D.R. Henderson (£23).