Ray Isle (@islewine on Twitter) is Food & Wine's executive wine editor. We trust his every cork pop and decant – and the man can sniff out a bargain to boot. Take it away, Ray.

And there it is. The game is over, the year is over, the winners have won and the losers have been consigned to the polar dark for their hapless betrayal of everything we hold dear, and you, you poor sad former human, are in rough shape.

Either you spent last night drinking the potent margaritas of victory, the 11.7 percent alcohol Imperial IPAs of triumph, or you scoured the miseries of defeat from your body with, well, pretty much the same stuff. You hurt. Your brain is a half-dead fish, floating in a polluted ocean. And now you have to go to work. Life, bah. It’s truly unfair.
 
Here are your options. The classic hair of the dog might be a possibility, but it depends on what your job entails. If you are a wine writer, for instance, no worries. If you are an air traffic controller, on the other hand, please avoid this option.

And the truth is, it doesn’t work all that well. Your body is still processing what you drank last night. Additional alcohol, while it may numb the pain in the short term, in the end will only extend your misery as your overindulged system deals with the added booze.
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Overdid it with the booze a bit last night? You're in excellent company. Twitter and Facebook abound with tales of over-consumption, repentance and just plain old pain after the revels of the New Year.

Luckily for you, Jon Harris, lead bartender of Firefly in Washington D.C. is too much of a pro to leave you hanging. He's got recipes, tips and cautionary tales to cure what ails you.

Hair of the Dog Cocktails and Other Hangover Tips: Jon Harris
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We're typing very, very quietly.

Many of you may have rung in the New Year in a wholesome, healthy fashion. You raised tankards of kombucha tea while hot-yoga posing in the form of a celestial stag and then rose at dawn to hike to the top of the nearest promontory and bask in nature and celestial majesty. That's wonderful. Good for you.

The rest of us crammed as much onion dip, pigs-in-a-blanket and stale Christmas candy as physically possible into our gaping maws, and then spilled bottom-shelf booze, beer and cheap Champagne in there so it wouldn't feel lonely. Today huuuuurrrrts, and the only surefire cure would be to journey back in time to stop the damage before it began.
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Holiday party season is time to eat, drink and be merry. But too much merriment can sometimes result in a not-so-celebratory hangover.

Dehydration is a main factor behind hangovers, as the body recovers from alcohol consumption.

CNN Health shares some myths vs. facts on hangovers, and what you can do to feel better.

Previously - Our readers weigh in on their favorite hangover remedies