It looks like something from a sci-fi flick, or maybe a meth lab. But Le Whaf is a device for vaporizing liquids.
Created by the same folks who brought us inhaleable caffeine, Le Whaf ($167) uses a process called hydrodynamic cavitation to turn your cocktails into clouds. Pour in any potable, and pulsing piezoelectric crystals in the base transform your libation into a flavored fog. Catch your billowy, heavier-than-air beverage in a glass and "whaf" it using a slotted glass straw.
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The experience is somewhere between drinking and inhaling; the creators say it's more about sensing – experiencing the essence of the drink – than consuming. The cloud transmits the flavor, but almost none of the calories, and in the case of alcohol, none of the effects. Strongly flavored drinks (raspberry vodka spritzer, coffee) with a high water content work best, but drinks that taste bad on their own won't taste any better as a vapor. The scent of your chosen drink also fills the room – vaping a beer made our test lab stink like a Sigma Chi house during rush week.
WIRED Instantly geeks up any cocktail party. Works with soups and sauces, too.
TIRED Did we mention it transmits none of the effects of alcohol? Watered-down drinks only; straight liquor produces only a haze. Watch for drafts – cloud often floats away before you can "sip" it. Available in the U.S. "sometime in 2013."