Liquid nitrogen cocktail in bar leads to teen having stomach removed

Liquid nitrogen cocktail in bar leads to teen having stomach removed

Technically Incorrect: A UK bar is heavily fined after serving a woman a very unsafe science-based drink.

Every time I watch "Top Chef" I wonder how much more molecular gastronomy can become.

There are, however, limits to the integration of science and, say, alcohol.

Gaby Scanlon was celebrating her 18th birthday in Oscar's Wine Bar. This Lancaster, UK, establishment served her something called a Nitro-Jagermeister.

The usual price was 3 British pounds and 95 pence (about $6). This one cost Scanlon her stomach.

As the BBC reports, Scanlon asked the bartender whether it was OK to drink. The bartender told her to go ahead. Indeed, the Guardian reports that one witness heard the bartender say: "Drink it while it's still smoking."

Scanlon told a court: "Smoke was coming from my nose and mouth. Straight away I knew something was not right. My stomach expanded."

It expanded so much that it was perforated. She was taken for emergency surgery. Her stomach was removed. A direct connection was created between her esophagus and her small bowel. She spent three weeks in hospital.

The court fined Oscar's 100,000 pounds (about $155,000). The bar's owners admitted they hadn't carried out a risk assessment before serving such drinks.

Liquid nitrogen drinks may look dramatic, but you have to wait for the nitrogen to evaporate before even thinking of drinking.

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http://www.cnet.com/news/liquid-nit...woman-having-stomach-removed/#ftag=CAD590a51e