Ever thought about drinking something made from someone’s urine? No?

Then we can only imagine what was going through artist James Gilpin’s mind when he decided to collect pee from people and turn it into whisky.

Yes. I know. Just hearing about it makes you think, “Malakas ata ang tama ng taong ‘to.”

Pero how did this project happen and how did he achieve his desired results?

Large amounts of sugar is passed out by diabetic patients on a daily basis. So much sugar is excreted that the toilets they use regularly developed unusually big colonies of mold and bacteria that feed on it.

Photo by Healthline

And kung akala mo, processing urine into whisky is bad, you’d be surprised (and disgusted) where Gilpin found his inspiration.

Apparently, he got the idea after hearing about about a pharmaceutical company that collected the urine of elderly people and filtered it, removing chemicals from it and purified it into a concentrated form that can be sold in pharmacies.

Photo by Livemint

Yes. Binebenta nila ulit ang mga nakocollect nilang traces ng chemicals. Bongga!

Gilpin cleaned urine by letting it undergo water purification techniques and collected sugar molecules that formed into crystals. The crystals are then added to the mash used to create whisky in order to accelerate fermentation.

Photo by Wilderness Mastery

According its creator, the so-called Gilpin Family Whisky was conceptualized to make a statement about how serious diabetes is and the everyday problems that comes with it. He also wants people “consider this break from our genetic norms as a state of enhancement and not just an illness in need of constant attention.”

The creation was intended to be a public engagement piece and an educational tool.

Pero ikaw rin, if you think you are daring enough to ask for a taste of whisky with an infusion of human urine, you do you. We will try not to judge… too hard.

By Kat Cabasan