This whiskey gun propels a shot glass of whiskey at your face

Is this the greatest pun-based invention of all time? So far, yes. (Vox/USPTO)

Everyone knows the best inventions come from puns, and this 1969 patent is particularly inspired: It allows you to use a gun to send a shot of whiskey hurtling toward your face.

The invention by Frank G. Bohn (a Wisconsinite who apparently preferred whiskey to beer) specifies that the shot glass is a whiskey shot glass because, let's be honest, you're not going to get vodka from a toy rifle. The novelty invention would work pretty much as patented — delivering a shot of whiskey to the lips when the trigger is pulled (and probably spilling a lot in the process).

Lest you be worried, there is still innovation coming from the best minds in the moving-alcohol-to-your-mouth field. There's a 1996 patent for a shot glass that can be wound up and sent forward like a Matchbox car, and there's a bracelet that ensures your beer always has a shot physically attached.

There are even many variations on the Russian roulette shot dispenser. But none of them are as perfect a marriage of function and pun as the gun that shoots whiskey shots. Just make sure you have a napkin ready.

Will you support Vox’s explanatory journalism?

Most news outlets make their money through advertising or subscriptions. But when it comes to what we’re trying to do at Vox, there are a couple of big issues with relying on ads and subscriptions to keep the lights on:

First, advertising dollars go up and down with the economy. We often only know a few months out what our advertising revenue will be, which makes it hard to plan ahead.

Second, we’re not in the subscriptions business. Vox is here to help everyone understand the complex issues shaping the world — not just the people who can afford to pay for a subscription. We believe that’s an important part of building a more equal society. And we can’t do that if we have a paywall.

So even though advertising is still our biggest source of revenue, we also seek grants and reader support. (And no matter how our work is funded, we have strict guidelines on editorial independence.)

If you also believe that everyone deserves access to trusted high-quality information, will you make a gift to Vox today? Any amount helps.

One-Time Monthly Annual

$5/month

$10/month

$25/month

$50/month

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $5/month

Yes, I'll give $5/month

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via