How To Drink Something Without Tasting It: Top Hacks

Last Updated on July 13, 2024 by Shari Mason

Indulging in food and drinks, especially with company, can be an exciting experience, but sometimes the flavors may not live up to our expectations. The beverage may be too bitter, or a certain drink may not suit our tastes.

In this roundup, we’ve listed ways on how to drink something without tasting it.

5 Effective Ways to Drink Something Without Tasting It

1. Plug Your Nose

The flavor will be greatly reduced when you plug your nose while drinking. You can pinch your nose as you drink. 

While taste buds allow you to experience all the flavors – sweet, salty, sour, and bitter, the olfactory receptors inside the uppermost part of the nose send a signal to the brain and help the taste buds create the authentic flavor of whatever you are eating or drinking. [1] I

If your nose is stuffy, or you hold your nose while drinking something, you’ll notice that the flavors are greatly reduced.

2. Breathe Through Your Mouth

The majority of the flavors of the beverage enter the nose. If you hold your breath while drinking, the flavors will be reduced. 

Inhale through your mouth so you don’t taste the hard stuff, especially if you are drinking alcohol.

3. Exhale Through Your Mouth

Exhaling sharply through your mouth is another way to avoid the taste of the beverage you are drinking. Exhaling through your nose while drinking alcohol, for example, can prevent the fumes from getting to your nose. The sense of smell affects the taste, so if you exhale through your mouth, you won’t taste your drink.

4. Eat Something Before Drinking

If you want to drink a beverage without tasting it, eating something before drinking is best. 

This is because your taste buds will be more focused on the flavors of the food that you’ve eaten. As a result, the flavors of the drink you are drinking will be reduced.

Read: Why Can’t I Find Diet Dr Pepper In Stores?

5. Ice Will Do the Trick

An iced drink helps tone down the flavors of your beverage. The cool temperature of ice numbs your palate and tones down the flavors. 

So, if you want to drink alcohol without tasting it, order it on the rocks.

6. Use a Straw

The straw helps you bypass your tongue and avoid contact with the taste buds. Ensure that the drink lands at the back of your tongue and goes directly down your throat to reduce the flavors you taste.

FAQs

Does holding your nose stop taste when drinking?

Yes, holding your nose can stop the taste when drinking. Your taste buds need the help of your nose to taste all the flavors. While eating or drinking, chemicals are released and travel up the nose. 

The chemicals trigger the olfactory receptors inside the nose, which tell the brain and create the sensation of flavor. When you hold your nose, the upper part of your nose is blocked, preventing the chemicals from triggering the olfactory receptors.

How can I trick my taste buds when drinking?

You can trick your tastebuds when drinking by plugging your nostrils. You can also drink cold water before drinking something else because it numbs your palate and tones down the flavors.  

In Conclusion

Some people find themselves in a situation where they can’t decline to eat food or drink beverages that taste unpleasant, so they have to endure the bad taste. Fortunately, there are ways to dull or diminish your sense of taste.

One of the most common ways to avoid tasting a drink is by plugging your nose. Immediately rinse your mouth with water after drinking to remove some of the flavors from your mouth.

Whatever you prefer from the ways we’ve listed above, these ways will help you enjoy the entire drinking experience.

Reference:

1. https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/taste-buds.html