Why would someone drink liquid nitrogen?

[Evil Yoda]

And yet, someone did. She'll now live the rest of her life stomachless and the manager of the bar has been "summoned to court to answer charges" under a workplace health and safety law.

Article

[aponderer]

Good Grief!! 

I would think the drink would immediately freeze if liquid nitrogen were added to it.

[Ravenchamp]

Had friend long ago that huffed ac freon from a pressure tank. Amazing what people with drug problems will do.

[oscar]

OK, first, I am not the owner of the bar...... 

After drinking two Nitro Jagermeisters, she said her stomach started to expand.

Two?  Was this the first time they sold the drink? If not, what happened to the others who drank it?  Most bars, when they create a new drink, have one or more staff members try it to make sure it tastes good and is or is not too strong.   So I wonder, if she only had one would she be "ok", or did anything particular she had to eat combine with the drink and make her stomach essentailly explode?

[Deleted]

Dec 17, 2014 21:21:00 GMT -5 Evil Yoda said:

And yet, someone did. She'll now live the rest of her life stomachless and the manager of the bar has been "summoned to court to answer charges" under a workplace health and safety law.

Article

I find it reasonable for a customer to assume that a "food service" professional such as a bartender would not serve patrons something that could cause lifetime injuries. 

[Evil Yoda]

Dec 18, 2014 9:29:19 GMT -5 microg said:

I find it reasonable for a customer to assume that a "food service" professional such as a bartender would not serve patrons something that could cause lifetime injuries.

I agree, it is reasonable. And that's doubtless why he's being summoned to court.

As to why he would concoct such a drink, or serve it? I must conclude that competition is fierce and he thought this would give him an edge.

But, still, I must conclude she was poorly educated or relentlessly stupid. The temperature at which nitrogen liquifies is not a secret, and the ideal gas law (which is close enough for this purpose) isn't that challenging, is it? Nor the basic anatomy of the stomach, specifically, the valves at either end and how they work. Is none of this taught in school any longer? That's where I learned it all - high school.

[aponderer]

Instead of Jagermeister, it should've been called Magengefrierenmeister...

[darave]

that's horrible her life is ruined forever and it wasn't her fault. Now those knuckleheads on True tv that do stupid stuff and hurt themselves a whole different story.

[Evil Yoda]

Dec 18, 2014 14:32:54 GMT -5 darave said:

that's horrible her life is ruined forever and it wasn't her fault. Now those knuckleheads on True tv that do stupid stuff and hurt themselves a whole different story.

We don't know where fault is properly assigned. Did she know there was liquid nitrogen in the drink? That affects it.

[oscar]

The story is apparently 2 years old, after reading up on it, it sounds as if the bar was at fault, given the way it is suppose to be used FOR drinks, not truly IN drinks-

The thing is, you're not supposed to ingest liquid nitrogen. Bartenders are supposed to swirl it around in a glass until it vaporizes completely, and then pour in the alcohol. But like just about anything, liquid nitrogen can be dangerous when used improperly.



But liquid nitrogen can be used safely, Dave Arnold, head of culinary technology at the French Culinary Institute and the man behind the cocktails at Momofuku in New York, tells ABC. And it's popular with customers, he says: "It's mesmerizing." (In fact, he's written a primer on how to use it right.)

The British teen is the latest in a handful of liquid nitrogen victims over the last few years, while the cocktail industry is under constant pressure to come up with new and creative ways to keep customers coming. But are the risks of liquid nitrogen too great to allow its use behind the bar?

link

[alienrace]

Do people really need creative ways to get customers to drink??