Drinking alcohol –and by that we mean physically swallowing it in liquid form, is so 2013. These days, all the cool kids are skipping the tired old drink/swallow routine in favor of a much more efficient technique: inhaling booze in vapor form.
Yup, that’s right. Inhaling alcohol is totally a thing now. Vapor shots have been available in trendy bars and clubs for a couple years at this point, but now the trend is starting to move out of the bar scene and into your home. It all started when a low-tech contraption called Vaportini hit the scene a few months back, but now now it’s being taken to new heights thanks to a more high-tech gizmo from Vapshot. The company has recently released a miniaturized version of their original vaporized booze dispenser, designed to be used at home or taken along to your next pool party.
The idea is fairly straightforward — the device vaporizes a small amount of alcohol and pumps it into a bottle, which the user then inhales with a straw. This introduces the alcohol directly into the blood stream through the lungs, which is very efficient. Normally when you take a drink, it has to go into your mouth, down your throat, into your stomach, then intestines, and finally into your bloodstream to your lungs and brain. For this reason, it takes a few minutes to get a buzz on when you’re drinking liquid.
Inhaling vaporized liquor, on the other hand, helps you wet your whistle much faster — which is precisely why the trend has health experts freaking out. Some have warned that inhaled alcoholic beverages are far riskier than traditional drinks, especially if abused.
However, Vapshot addresses these safety concerns directly on its site, stating “Because Vapshot is served in a regulated per serving size, it is possible to quantify the levels of intoxication and levels of acceptable ethyl alcohol in the lungs, which are both significantly lower than consumption of a traditional liquid shot or mixed drink.” It sounds fairly foolproof, but even so, it’s probably a good idea to practice some moderation until you know how it affects you.
The base model Vapshot mini (which comes with a white finish) will put you back $700, whereas you’ll need to fork over an additional $200 if you want the more snazzy-looking stainless steel version. That’s definitely a bit steep but if you’re looking for something memorable for your next get-together, this might be it.
