We all know that it's disingenuous of shady-looking stores to bill vaporizers as tools for dispersing the scents of herbs and spices. Nobody uses them for aromatherapy. They use them for intoxication. What you may not know, however, is that it's now possible to get inebriated using a vaporizer without breaking the law in 48 of the 50 States.
We're not talking about some new kind of legal pseudo-marijuana here, either. If you have the right kind of vaporizer, you can actually inhale an intoxicant that's legal for those over 21 in all 50 states: alcohol.
The vaporizer in question is called a Vaportini. According to Time Out Chicago, it was invented by a Chicago woman named Julie Palmer back in 2009, but it went on sale on her website for $34.50 each in December.
The Vaportini works similarly to a traditional vaporizer, in that it involves gently heating the substance until it releases intoxicating vapors, which are then inhaled through a straw. In the case of the Vaportini, that substance is liquor and the heat source is a candle.
Palmer has been serving "drinks" -- we aren't sure what else to call them -- in a Vaportini at Red Kiva, the bar she owns in Chicago, since she first invented the device. Chicagoist blogger Anthony Todd got a taste of the vapor back then and noted that he was "frankly amazed at how well the flavors of the liquor carried over" from liquid to vapor. He also said that the inhaled alcohol affected him quickly, but that his drunkenness (is THAT even an applicable word in this case?) subsided quickly.
Still, the sad story of AeroShots Inhalable Caffeine proves that federal government doesn't always look kindly on new products that allow you to huff otherwise-legal substances that are normally consumed as liquids. So if you want to try the Vaportini for yourself, and don't live in Chicago, you'd better act fast.You get a 33 percent discount if you buy more than 10.
(H/T Jeff Gordinier)
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