Police arrest woman for driving drunk on vanilla extract
A 50-year-old Connecticut woman was arrested Wednesday for driving under the influence of vanilla extract.
Police were called at 4:45 p.m. after a person reported a car stopped at a New Canaan intersection with the driver sitting behind the wheel with her eyes closed.
Police identified the driver as Stefanie Warner-Grise.
“Upon speaking with Warner-Grise, officers detected an odor of vanilla coming from her breath, her speech was slurred and she was unable to answer basic questions,” according to the arrest report.
“In addition, several bottles of pure vanilla extract were located inside the vehicle.”
After she failed sobriety tests, she was taken into custody. She refused to take a blood alcohol test and was held on $250 bond.
According to Food and Drug Administration regulations, pure vanilla extract must contain 35 percent alcohol, which makes it 70 proof.
According to , in most cases, the alcohol in vanilla is burned away in the cooking process, but when ingested directly, the effects are similar to drinking hard liquor.
It said a person weighing around 154 pounds who drinks a 12-ounce bottle of extract will have a peak BAC three times the legal driving limit.
, one of the most popular brands, has a 41 percent alcohol content, making it 82 proof.