Fitch

The hair of a polecat. A brush made from this or similar hair.

I had never heard the phrase "hair of the dog" when a friend suggested that I, hung over, should try something called "hair of the dog."

I thought she meant a brand of beer called "Hair of the Dog" and my assumption was (I thought) confirmed when I found the "Hair of the Dog Brewing Company" based in Portland, Oregon.

I attempted to find a few bottles of Hair of the Dog Brewing Company beer to present to my friend as proof that I took her advice, but I found that the stuff was all but impossible to find around here.

It was just as well, since she was not referring to a specific brand of beer but to the general phrase "hair of the dog that bit you," an expression which says that the best cure for a hangover is to drink more alcohol when you wake up hung over in the morning.

I don’t know if the "cure" possesses much medical integrity but everyone I know who has tried it swears by it despite however much it goes against every instinct in their body to drink beer in the morning.

I’ve never had occasion to try the hair of the dog elixir, and except for once or twice in college I don’t think I’ve ever consumed beer before noon, or even before 3pm.