# What is the plastic insert in liquor bottles for?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plastic-insert-in-liquor-bottles-for/486632>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 19, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plastic-insert-in-liquor-bottles-for/486632 "2009-02-19T23:29:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Cagey\_Drifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Cagey\_Drifter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cagey_Drifter)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plastic-insert-in-liquor-bottles-for/486632/1 "2009-02-19T23:29:12Z")

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Larger liquor bottles often have this plastic insert at the very top, usually divided into 4 quadrants. What does that do, and why do only larger bottles have them?

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**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plastic-insert-in-liquor-bottles-for/486632/2 "2009-02-19T23:50:56Z")

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I believe it’s a no glug bottle.

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plastic-insert-in-liquor-bottles-for/486632/3 "2009-02-20T00:32:15Z")

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> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#):
>
> I believe it’s a no glug bottle.

That’s what it is.

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**Author:** ![Cagey\_Drifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Cagey\_Drifter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cagey_Drifter)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plastic-insert-in-liquor-bottles-for/486632/4 "2009-02-20T00:45:18Z")

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Odd-- the one sitting in front of me seems to be glugging.

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**Author:** ![Glazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a88e57/32.png) [@Glazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glazer)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plastic-insert-in-liquor-bottles-for/486632/5 "2009-02-20T00:53:25Z")

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> [@Cagey\_Drifter](#):
>
> Odd-- the one sitting in front of me seems to be glugging.

That’s because you be chugg’n.🙂

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**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plastic-insert-in-liquor-bottles-for/486632/6 "2009-02-20T01:37:49Z")

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With the insert, it makes the SOUND “glug,” but the insert stops it from pouring too fast. Fill the empty bottle with water, and tip it upside down without the insert - THAT’S a glug!

Joe

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**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plastic-insert-in-liquor-bottles-for/486632/7 "2009-02-20T05:32:11Z")

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Also, it’s _very_ roughly equivalent to a bartender’s stop, which pours a shot in about two seconds. A good bartender with a good stop can almost exactly duplicate their pour every single time. The insert isn’t nearly as good, but it’s close enough.

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**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plastic-insert-in-liquor-bottles-for/486632/8 "2009-02-20T15:30:20Z")

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> [@Santo\_Rugger](#):
>
> Also, it’s _very_ roughly equivalent to a bartender’s stop, which pours a shot in about two seconds. A good bartender with a good stop can almost exactly duplicate their pour every single time. The insert isn’t nearly as good, but it’s close enough.

I’ve always heard/been trained that’s it’s 3-4 seconds for a shot (well, 1.5 ounce shot.) A 2 second pour is closer to a 1 ounce shot, which to me is getting shortchanged.