TikTok trends have infiltrated every corner of our lives—from how we cook pasta to how we apply our makeup to how we spend our money. Now, the social media app is making its mark on alcohol: Some TikTokers claim that you can pour cheap vodka into a Brita filter to make it taste like water. So, does it work?
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TikToker @han.walls is one of many Gen Zers who have posted about the rumor. In her video, she poured a few ounces of Tito’s vodka into her Brita filter just once. And when she gave it a sip, she claimed that one single trip through the filter was all it took to remove the smell and taste of the vodka. In her words, this result meant that she was “in trouble.”
But according to fellow TikToker and pharmacist Dr. ChrisPharmD, pouring vodka into a Brita filter one time will not result in water-like liquid with no taste and smell. However, a couple more times through the filter will have an effect, he said.
“The Brita filter is not going to change how concentrated the alcohol is. What it is going to do is remove congeners—the organic compounds that can make hangovers worse,” he explained.
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“Pouring it through once, honestly, is not gonna do much,” he added. “Two, three, or four times … now we’re talking. It will change the taste and texture, and also the smell. It’s definitely not going to make it taste like water, though.”
The pharmacist wraps up his video by saying that if you’re on a budget, running cheap vodka through a Brita filter a few times can make “bad vodka taste not so bad.” He also pointed out that this trick can also be used with whiskey and gin. However, he warns that the congeners in those liquors are what give it its flavor.
He also warns against trying this with tequila because “it’s going to ruin it.”
Bottom line, pouring cheap vodka through a Brita filter will mitigate the taste and smell—and possibly make your hangover more tolerable. But, the notion that this trick makes vodka taste like water is false.
It also won’t ruin your Brita, and you can use any type of vodka. But, since the point of this is to tolerate the taste, it would make sense to do it with cheap booze instead of ruining a pricey bottle.
After all, this is one of those tips for a college student who’s pregaming at her apartment with friends, not someone who enjoys sipping a martini before dinner.