Helium Beer: Where To Buy In Ohio?

Helium beer has become a topic of fascination, with viral videos and pranks suggesting its existence. However, it's important to clarify that helium beer is not real and does not exist. Helium does not dissolve in liquids like carbon dioxide or nitrogen, which are typically used for carbonation. The videos showing people with high-pitched voices after consuming helium beer are staged for entertainment. While helium beer may be a myth, there are plenty of unique and experimental beers available at local craft breweries, specialty liquor stores, or beer festivals.

Helium beer is a hoax

The idea of helium beer is based on the notion that drinking it will cause a person's voice to become high-pitched, similar to the effect of inhaling helium gas from a balloon. While this premise is amusing, it is scientifically impractical. Helium does not dissolve in liquid like carbon dioxide or nitrogen, which are typically used to carbonate beer. Therefore, it is impossible to carbonate beer with helium.

The myth of helium beer gained traction in 2014 due to a pair of viral videos released on April Fool's Day by The Boston Beer Company co-founder Jim Koch and Stone Brewing Co. quality assurance manager Rick Blankemeier. They claimed to have created "HeliYum" and "Cr(He)am Ale," respectively, which were supposed to give drinkers high-pitched voices. However, these videos were nothing more than an elaborate prank.

Some people have attempted to create helium-infused beer, but it always results in a flat beverage. Even if you could somehow add helium to beer, it would cause gushing because helium is not soluble in liquid. Additionally, liquid helium only exists at extremely low temperatures, and adding it to beer would result in a frozen solid, not a refreshing drink.

While helium beer may be a fun concept, it is nothing more than a hoax. It is scientifically impossible to create, and any claims or videos of its existence are purely for entertainment purposes.

It's impossible to make helium-infused beer

Firstly, helium is insoluble in water. Unlike carbon dioxide or nitrogen, which are soluble and will stay in solution once injected, helium will not dissolve in liquid. This means that you can't carbonate beer with helium, and it will not stay in the beer.

Secondly, even if you could add helium to beer, it would cause gushing as the helium escapes. Helium is lighter than air and would quickly rise up and exit the beer.

Thirdly, adding liquid helium to beer is not a viable option. Liquid helium becomes a gas at temperatures above -220°F to -452°F, so it would freeze the beer instantly. Achieving and maintaining this temperature is extremely difficult and expensive.

Finally, helium can be dangerous to inhale. It replaces the oxygen in your body, and prolonged exposure to concentrated levels can pose a suffocation risk.

While the idea of helium-infused beer may be intriguing, it is simply not possible due to the scientific and safety limitations outlined above.

Helium beer videos are staged

Helium beer is not real, and the videos are staged. The excitement around helium beer was first sparked by a pair of viral videos released on April 1, 2014, by the co-founder of The Boston Beer Company, Jim Koch, and the quality assurance manager at Stone Brewing Co., Rick Blankemeier. In the videos, they announced two new beer products, "HeliYum" and "Cr(He)am Ale", which were supposed to give drinkers high-pitched voices. However, this is scientifically impossible as helium does not dissolve in water or other liquids, meaning it cannot be used to carbonate beer.

The videos sparked a trend, with many people creating their own versions of the prank and sharing them online. This led to a persistent urban legend that helium beer is a real product that can be purchased. However, despite the numerous videos and inquiries from interested consumers, helium beer is nothing more than a myth.

The prank videos gained a lot of traction, with some accumulating millions of views and even catching the attention of urban legend website Snopes. The videos were so convincing that many people began searching for ways to purchase the beer, leading to a flood of inquiries to beer websites and companies. This prompted several beer experts and websites, such as CraftBeer.com, to publish articles and videos explaining the science behind why helium beer is not possible.

While helium beer may not be real, there are plenty of unique and novelty beers on the market that offer unusual ingredients, aging processes, and flavour profiles. So, while you may not be able to find a beer that alters your voice, there are still plenty of interesting and exciting craft beers to explore and enjoy.

The science behind the hoax

The helium beer hoax was first perpetrated in April 2014 by the co-founder of The Boston Beer Company, Jim Koch, and the quality assurance manager at Stone Brewing Co., Rick Blankemeier. They released a pair of viral videos announcing the release of two new beers: "HeliYum" by Boston Beer and "Cr(He)am Ale" by Stone Brewing. In the videos, Koch and Blankemeier claimed that their beers had the unique quality of making drinkers' voices high-pitched.

However, the videos were nothing more than an elaborate April Fool's Day prank. The scientific reality is that helium does not dissolve in liquid like carbon dioxide or nitrogen, which are commonly used to carbonate beer. Helium is completely insoluble in water, and therefore it will not stay in beer. It would simply rise up and exit the liquid.

Even if you could add helium to beer, it would cause the beer to gush and overflow because of helium's insolubility. Furthermore, adding liquid helium to beer is not a viable option because helium has an extremely low boiling point, turning from liquid to gas at -220°F (-452°F according to one source) to -268.93°C. At this temperature, the beer would freeze solid.

Another important consideration is the safety aspect of inhaling helium. While inhaling from a balloon may cause dizziness and temporary unconsciousness, prolonged exposure to concentrated levels of helium can pose a suffocation hazard due to oxygen deprivation. There have even been rare cases of deaths reported from helium overdoses.

In conclusion, the laws of physics and chemistry dictate that helium beer is a scientific impossibility. The hoax played on people's curiosity and desire for unusual and exciting beer experiences, but ultimately, it is nothing more than a clever prank that exploited people's willingness to believe and share sensational content on the internet.

Similar pranks by other companies

The Helium Beer prank has been replicated by several other companies, all of which have gained a lot of attention. Here are some examples:

Stone Brewing Co.

Stone Brewing Co. released an announcement video in April 2014 about their "Stochasticity Project Cr(He)am Ale with Helium". In the video, Rick Blankemeier and Mitch Steele engage in "deep science talk" about the beer for nearly four minutes, making the prank quite convincing. The video and the accompanying news release were both published on April 1st, adding to the believability of the prank.

The Boston Beer Company

On April 1st, 2014, The Boston Beer Company, also known for Samuel Adams beer, released a video featuring co-founder Jim Koch promoting "HeliYum", a helium-infused beer. In the video, Koch's voice goes squeaky after sipping the beer, as if he had been sucking on a helium balloon. The prank was well-received, with several media outlets calling it one of the best April Fools' Day pranks of the year.

Berkshire Brewing Company

In 2015, Berkshire Brewing Company joined in on the fun with their own video for "Helium IPA". The video opens with an open beer bottle slowly filling a balloon, playing into the idea that the beer is infused with helium.

Die BierProbierer

The German podcast, Die BierProbierer, released a video in German featuring Alex and Ralf, who appear to be sipping on helium beer, with their voices changing noticeably after drinking. This video also gained a lot of attention, with dozens of similar videos being published on Facebook by viral publishers worldwide.

HomebrewersAssociation.org

The editors at HomebrewersAssociation.org released a video in 2017 for their Pale-Ale-Eo Diet beer, which many wished was real.

Frequently asked questions