Every individual has their own personal hangover cure -- for some it's Berocca fizzy vitamins, for others it's a hair of the dog that bit you. Rassol, or pickle brine, has been the cure of choice among Russians from time immemorial. This is not just some folklore remedy -- it even has its backers among the medical community. When polled last year for an article about cures for the morning after, Dr. Yevgeny Gavrilov of the International SOS Clinic told The Moscow Times that "one way is to take rassol, the salted juice in which cucumbers are pickled. It's usually a mixture of salt, water and maybe some spices." Dr. Nikolai Cherednichenko of AlkoMed concurred: "Drink the water used to make pickled vegetables."

The problem is that a jar of pickles may not always be at hand. About eight years ago the food technologists at the Ochakovo Brewery took this matter to hand and produced rassol in a can -- minus the messy pickles. They have continued to experiment with the formula, but there's no escaping the fact that a can of rassol won't fit in your back pocket, let alone your wallet. Luckily, there is no stopping progress: Instant rassol has arrived.

Guten Morgen instant rassol is 10 grams of concentrated salted pickle extract, sorrel extract, dried dill and other pickly goodness, all mixed together in a convenient individually portioned package. Perfect for sudden business trips and other unexpected drinking sessions. At about 14 rubles a pack, drinkers never need be without a glass of pickle juice again -- just add water.