{image1}It looks like you won't have to die and go to heaven to catch a hangover-free buzz, thanks to a new craze called AWOL, or "Alcohol Without Liquid."
Originally available only in Europe and Asia, AWOL made a successful debut in New York in August and may start to drift west if it's not banned in the process.
The AWOL device is an oxygen generator and a hand-held vaporizer with attached tubes that looks kind of like a bong. The imbiber chooses an 80-proof spirit (usually whiskey or vodka), which is poured into the vaporizer and then mixed with oxygen, producing a mist that's inhaled through the mouth.
The process takes about 20 minutes and costs around $10 plus the cost of the shot.
AWOL is said to produce a buzz similar to its liquid counterpart, just a bit milder, and it's rumored to be hangover-free.
Long-term damage to the liver and lungs hasn't been documented.
It's possible this new inhalation trend will suffocate just like oxygen bars did a few years ago, or the cost might be too much for Milwaukeeans. In any case, it's definitely not well publicized here -- all three bar owners contacted about AWOL hadn't heard of it.
"Sounds interesting, but I have no idea what it is," says Jamo's Lounge owner Jamison Goll.
Dave Cartwright, president of Specialty Beverages on Milwaukee's South Side, heard of AWOL, but isn't happy about it.
"I hope it doesn't make it here," says Cartwright. "I'm not in the business to get people drunk, rather to provide a quality, enjoyable beverage."
Spirit Partners, the company with exclusive rights to market the AWOL technology in the United States, announced on Aug. 20 at the Trust Lounge in New York's Meat Packing District that they plan to sell at least one AWOL dealership in all 50 states.
Some lawmakers are already challenging the devices -- called "the ultimate party toy" in England -- because they are marketed to attract young people and make it harder for the user to tell if he or she is too drunk to drive. It also may make blood alcohol levels undetectable by a Breathalyzer.
The biggest glitch might come from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) that has yet to federally approve the AWOL devices.
"In my opinion, it's taking away the best part of drinking," says Cartwright.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
