TikTok Is Divided Over This 3-Ingredient Hack For Eliminating The Taste Of Vodka
Your bar cart harbors many things. A set of copper mule mugs, an heirloom decanter, a dusty bottle of expired bitters, and most importantly, a handle of vodka. This clear, odorless liquor is often the go-to for any party or event, primarily for its neutral taste and low-calorie base. Compared to the intense agave tang of tequila or the warm cinnamon heat in rum, vodka can be mixed with simple or complex mixers. Lemonade, club soda, cranberry juice — it doesn't take much to completely transform this drink. But as great as vodka is, it does have an intense tradeoff: The sting.
You've seen it. You've heard it. You've definitely felt it. When taken straight, vodka has a fierce (and nearly unbearable) burn that makes it hard to keep down. This is due to its ethanol concentration, which manipulates the nerves in your mouth and brain into thinking you're eating something spicy, like chili pepper. But do you really have to endure the burning just to know it's working? TikTok doesn't think so.
One of the most popular tricks up TikTok's sleeve is to use baking soda, salt, and water in your next vodka venture. The claim, made initially by Chix, states that the taste and burn associated with vodka (and tequila and Hennessy) completely evaporates once a dash of baking soda and salt is included. While some believe that the hack is more of a hoax, there is a certain science behind this method that can prove its efficiency.
The science behind this baking soda secret
While plugging your nose may work for a while, it's definitely not a foolproof method to avoid the sting. You can also only get so far with the various pre-flavored options before they, too, become susceptible to the inevitable. Insert the baking soda, salt, and mineral water trick — simple science with effective results.
Does anyone know what you get when you combine the three ingredients above in a glass with ice? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Club soda! This bubbly beverage is primarily made of sodium bicarbonate (a.k.a. baking soda), sodium chloride (salt), and potassium sulfate (mineral salt deposits). So, when added to vodka, you're technically making an at-home version of a vodka soda.
@chixy38 Be careful 😅🥲🍹 #lifehack #mixeddrink #hack #drinkrecipe #happyhour
"If y'all see me in the club with some baking soda and salt mine ya business," wrote one user. Others added that baking soda has more uses than diminishing the taste of alcohol. It can also help with heartburn and acid reflux in coffee, tea, and vodka, creating a "two birds with one stone" situation.
However, some commentators don't see this as a scientific revelation. Instead, they think of it more as common sense. "Maybe it tastes like water because it's 90% ice in that bottle," one TikToker pointed out. There is also fear of adverse reactions, specifically peracetic acid, which can cause skin and eye irritation. But fortunately, baking soda in small quantities is safe and poses no significant threat to those who wish to try this hack.
What about filtering your vodka?
One of the biggest online claims to ridding vodka of its burning taste is to filter it through the Brita. This trick originated on the @callmebelly channel, where popular TikTokers Elliott Norris and Louis Levanti conducted a somewhat unusual taste test: Filtering cheap vodka through a water dispenser to see if the taste would disappear. Depending on who you ask, results may vary.
@callmebelly you brita get yourself a brita 👀 #lifehack #lofehacks #brita
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In an interview with Insider, Dr. Kit Chapman (a renowned scientific journalist) stated that, yes, the Brita could potentially improve the upfront taste of vodka and/or reduce the burn afterward. The science simply comes down to the Brita doing what it's supposed to: Filter the liquid. By extracting unnecessary alcoholic components called congeners, which Chapman reported as a significant factor in hangovers, the vodka could improve in taste and digestion. Still, some TikTok users, such as @timthetankofficial, showed viewers that this trick may not be all it's cracked up to be.
"No sting, but still tastes like crap vodka. I think this is a little over-hyped. It definitely works, but it doesn't taste like water," Tim reported before ranking the filtered Fleischmann's shot a 40/100. Some suggested filtering the vodka a few more times to completely remove the taste. Other viewers questioned if the filter was actually just lowering the alcohol percentage altogether, making it taste like "water" (spoiler: it doesn't). Overall, for better-tasting vodka, it's probably best to shell out the extra $20. Your tastebuds and esophagus will thank you.