What do you reach for the morning after one too many glasses of rosé? Caffeine and carbs? A Full English with a side of Richard Curtis? Or an old-fashioned hair of the dog pint of ale? Whatever tickles your hangover pickle, it’s unlikely to be a rainbow latte, the latest health craze sweeping the well-heeled folk of New York City, which claims to be full of unicorn-worthy, moon-dusted goodness.
Coffee-lovers don't jump for joy just yet at the prospect of adding another thing to your "coffee is good for me" list, the Hangover Latte – as it’s named – contains no coffee. Nope, not one bean for your buck.
Exclusively available at a vegan latte bar (scoff all you want, it's a thing) in Chinatown, New York, the iridescent, ice cold drink is layered with red, yellow and blue and contains coconut milk, dragon fruit, turmeric, almond milk and blue algae, obviously. Before you start desperately looking for flights to the big apple to get your hands on what might just be the most Instagrammable drink yet, be aware that this colourful creation might not be quite as healthy as you think.
Ondrej Matej, a London-based nutritionist, told the Metro that drinking too many Hangover Lattes might lead to weight gain.
“This is because almond milk often has sugar or other sweeteners added. And coconut milk is often drunk by people who want to gain weight. Both are really high in fat,” he said.
He was, however, an advocate for the drink’s blue algae component, explaining that it is jam-packed full of health properties. He also strongly supported the inclusion of turmeric and dragon fruit, both of which are rich in minerals and vitamins.
When it comes to curing that all too familiar morning-after-the-night-before feeling, Matej was optimistic that the drink could have beneficial effects.
“The Rainbow Latte is good for hangovers, mainly because of the algae that it contains, which suck out the toxins created by the metabolism of alcohol in the body.”
So there you have it, nipping down the local can cure a hangover after all - if you're local happens to be a vegan latte bar.
The Independent