Beer snorkel: what it is and how it works

A beer snorkel — known in French as a snorkel apéro — is a party accessory that clips onto the neck of a glass bottle. A small tube lets air into the bottle while you drink, which removes the glugging and turns a stop-start pour into a single continuous one.

Updated 8 September 2026

In brief

A beer snorkel is a party accessory that clips onto the neck of a glass bottle and lets air into the bottle while you drink.
Without a snorkel, the air going in and the liquid coming out have to share the same neck: that conflict is what causes the glugging sound and the stop-start pour.
“Beer snorkel”, “chug buddy” and the French “snorkel apéro” all describe the same object. A beer bong, which is a funnel attached to a length of tube, is a different and considerably riskier device.
Five things are worth checking before buying a beer snorkel: how precisely the material is stated, what touches the bottle neck, whether it comes apart for cleaning, whether the clip fits standard bottles, and whether the seller is identifiable.
A beer snorkel does not change how much alcohol a bottle contains, it changes how fast that bottle is drunk: it is an adults-only accessory, and it works just as well with a soft drink.

Why a bottle glugs without a snorkel

When you tip a bottle upside down, the liquid can only leave if air comes in to take its place. The neck is already full of liquid on its way out, so the air has to travel back up through that same opening, in the opposite direction. The two get in each other's way: a bubble goes up, the flow stops, the bubble clears, the flow restarts. That cycle is what makes the noise, and what makes the pour come out in bursts.

A snorkel removes the conflict. It adds a second path, reserved for air: air travels up the tube and straight into the top of the bottle, while liquid gets the whole neck to itself. Pressure equalises continuously, and the pour becomes steady and much faster. It is the same principle as punching a second hole in a carton of juice, or the vent on a jerrycan spout.

Beer snorkel, chug buddy, snorkel apéro: any difference?

None — they are names for the same object. Beer snorkel is the term that spread first, because the accessory took off in English-speaking countries. “Speed snorkel” and “chug buddy” are brand names rather than categories. In French the object is called a snorkel apéro, which is arguably the better name: nothing about it is specific to beer, and it works with any drink in a glass bottle.

It should not be confused with a beer bong, or funnel: that is a wide funnel attached to a length of tube, holding a far larger volume, and the way it gets used is considerably more dangerous. A snorkel changes nothing except the speed at which one bottle empties.

Five things worth checking before you buy

The category is crowded with cheap resold products that say nothing at all about what they are made of. Since the object sits in prolonged contact with a drink, that is precisely the thing not to skip.

How precisely the material is stated. “Food-grade plastic, BPA-free”, “food-grade silicone”, “304 stainless steel” are information. “Premium material” or “high quality” are not — they usually mean the seller does not know what they are selling.
What touches the bottle neck. This is where it is won or lost. Soft silicone moulds to the glass, does not scratch it and does not leak; a rigid or thin part slips mid-pour.
Whether it comes apart. If it does not come apart, it cannot be cleaned properly — a narrow tube holding sugary residue is a problem. A model that comes apart goes in the dishwasher.
Whether the clip fits. Glass bottle necks are standardised, but not every clip holds. A clip that slips mid-pour means glass and liquid on the floor.
Whether the seller is identifiable. A full company address, a registration number, clear returns terms. On something that touches a drink, an anonymous seller is reason enough to move on.

Using one responsibly: the part that actually matters

This deserves to be said plainly, because it is the only real risk the object carries. A snorkel does not change how much alcohol is in a bottle — it changes the speed at which that bottle is drunk. Speed is what sets the peak blood alcohol level. The liver clears roughly one standard drink an hour regardless, so drinking the same amount in seconds rather than over twenty minutes produces a far higher peak, and does it before the feeling of being drunk has had time to warn anyone. That is the mechanism behind binge drinking, and it is what sends people to hospital.

Three practical consequences. A snorkel is an accessory for having a good time together, not a performance tool: it is just as entertaining with a soft drink, and a timed challenge works exactly the same way. It is for adults only. And it never goes anywhere near driving — fast absorption makes judging your own state unusually unreliable.

Excessive drinking harms your health. Drink responsibly.

Using one, and keeping it clean

The clip fits onto the neck of a standard glass bottle: push it on, check it has seated firmly, and it is ready. Once the bottle is tipped, the tube needs to point towards what is then the top of the bottle, so the air arrives in the gas pocket rather than in the liquid.

On cleaning, rinsing immediately is the only rule that really matters: a narrow tube with a sugary drink dried inside it is very hard to clean afterwards. Hot soapy water straight after use, or the dishwasher if the model comes apart, and the accessory lasts for years — food-grade plastic and silicone hold their shape at washing temperatures and pass on no taste.

Where the JOHNSON SHOT fits in

The JOHNSON SHOT is a beer snorkel made from food-grade plastic and silicone, designed in France, which also serves as the prop for a national timed challenge: there is a stopwatch built into the site, and the idea is to compare your time with the rest of the country. The ranking works just as well with a soft drink — it is the clock that counts, not what is in the bottle.

It is sold on pre-order at €24.99, with shipping estimated for October 2026 to mainland France and Europe. The rest of the site, including the challenge, the city ranking and the full terms of sale, is currently available in French only.

Frequently asked questions

What does a beer snorkel actually do?

It removes the glugging from a glass bottle you have tipped upside down. A small tube carries air straight into the top of the bottle, instead of forcing it to fight its way back up through the neck against the liquid coming down. The pour becomes continuous rather than stop-start, and the bottle empties considerably faster.

How do you fit a beer snorkel to a bottle?

It clips onto the neck of a standard glass bottle: push it on until you feel it seat firmly, which takes a few seconds. Once the bottle is tipped, the tube needs to point towards what is now the top of the bottle, so that air reaches the gas pocket rather than the liquid. No tools are needed.

Is a beer snorkel the same thing as a beer bong?

No, they are two different objects. A snorkel clips onto a bottle neck and changes nothing except how quickly that bottle's contents flow out. A beer bong, or funnel, is a wide funnel attached to a length of tube, into which a far larger volume is poured — the way it is used is considerably more dangerous.

Can you use a beer snorkel without alcohol?

Yes. The accessory is completely independent of what is in the bottle: it works with a soda, a juice, a lemonade or sparkling water, and fizzy drinks are in fact the hardest to empty cleanly without one. A snorkel never changes how much alcohol a bottle holds, only how fast it is drunk — and speed is what determines the peak blood alcohol level. Adults only; excessive drinking harms your health.

How do you clean a beer snorkel?

Rinsing it straight after use is the rule that matters: a narrow tube with a sugary drink dried inside it is very difficult to clean afterwards. Hot soapy water immediately, or the dishwasher if the model comes apart. A model that does not come apart can only be cleaned on the outside, which is the single most useful thing to check before buying.