Try, just for a moment, to relive the feeling of a really nasty hangover. The pounding headache. The churning stomach. The desperation for coffee, Panadol, and anything fried.
Now imagine that you could cure that hangover in 30 minutes. Soon, this dream will become a reality, as Hangover Clinic – Australia's first and only IV hangover clinic – expands from its home to Sydney to Melbourne.
"We're experiencing 20-25 per cent growth every month and are fully booked almost every weekend," says co-founder Max Petro. "We wanted to bring this service to Melbourne, which is why we've decided to open a pop-up shop there this summer."
So how does it work, exactly? It's simple, really: all you need to do is drag your nauseated body to the clinic, and allow a team of friendly (real-life) doctors to administer an IV drip of life-giving fluids, minerals and vitamins into your bloodstream. And if you're still not convinced, then see what happened when Time Out Sydney sent their bar reviewer as a (very dusty) guinea pig. Spoiler: it works.
The address and opening date are yet to be announced. So until then, party on, Melbourne – and make sure you lock in your spot for New Year's Day. You know you'll need it.
Inevitably, the success of Max Petro's business will most likely lead to similar hangover clinics opening in Melbourne. While Petro's clinic has a clean bill of health, another 'hydration clinic' in Sydney was shut down earlier this year after a patient was hospitalised after receiving an IV vitamin 'infusion'. So when testing out new treatments, make sure you know who is behind them (preferably, a qualified doctor).