Ahh, the beloved shot. It’s been there with you for the best of times, and it’s definitely been there for the worst of times. But who invented the idea of taking a small glass of hell and downing it with chase? Is there a standard size? Well read below and find out 5 things you didn’t know about shots.
No one really knows who invented it
GIF by Natsuko Mazany
This is both good news and bad news. Good news because we can continue believing that shots were a godsend. This is bad news because it will forever be a mystery.
Though there are many myths and legends that claim to have the answer to this question, the very first documented use of the word “shot” when referring to alcohol was used in a book from 1913 by Dr. Jehu Z. Powell titled A History of Cass County Indiana from its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time. (Super interesting…I know.)
In his book, Dr. Powell wrote that a man in New Waverly Indiana was opening a saloon but was approached by angry citizens. When his first shipment of whiskey arrived, a furious townsman shot at the barrel with a rifle, draining the liquid from its container. From then on, whenever someone at the saloon wanted a drink, they would ask for “a shot of redeye.” #IUPride
It didn’t really exist until after Prohibition
Photo courtesy of Kent Wang
That’s right, it wasn’t until America came out of a very dark period that the beloved shot glass was made. Though there are some shot glasses that date back to the pre-prohibition era, they are very rare and much smaller and thinner than today’s counterpart. Straight alcohol was generally consumed from a small glass but the thick, indestructible shooters were not manufactured until the 40s.
The amount of alcohol in a shot varies from country to country
Photo by Natsuko Mazany
Shots can be as small as Germany’s tiny 20 ml dose to Japan’s 60 ml punch. Sake anyone?
Jell-O shots are on a whole new level
Photo courtesy of Molecular Recipes
Thanks to the wonderful world of molecular gastronomy, chefs around the world have found out ways to transform our favorite hard alcohols into pleasant shot balls. What makes them different from Jell-O shots? Just like edible water balls, these alcoholic spheres have a soft, gel casing with liquids inside.
Drinking your shot is so 2015
Photo courtesy of vaping360.com
Now we have the technology to vape your booze. That’s right, vape pens will no longer be just for the pretentious, but they will also be for the sloppy drunks.