All the Caffeine of a Cup of Joe in a Convenient... Spray-On?

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A cup of joe has long been the preferred delivery mechanism for caffeine, the stimulant that energized the revolutions of the Enlightenment, and today keeps cubicles humming through the afternoon. Caffeinated sweet sodas and energy drinks fortified with ginseng and ginkgo biloba and other stuff have made inroads in recent years, but they haven't changed how we get our caffeine. Which is to say, we're still drinking it. (See also: How Much Caffeine Is in That?)

But a revolution is brewing in the world of caffeine stimulation. Beginning this November, you'll be able to spray a dose of caffeine directly on your skin. Who would buy such a product? Anybody who would like the benefit of a caffeine boost, but would rather avoid a bitter cup of coffee or a too sweet bottle of pop. And, as its inventor explained to NPR, caffeine taken through the skin doesn't result in energy spikes and crashes:

Caffeine is really a nasty molecule, and pure caffeine is terrible," Yu says. "We used it for the stimulative effect, and this culture has evolved around it where it's not about the effect, and just about enjoying the ritual aspects. For those people, they can keep drinking their coffee. But for everyone who wants the functional aspect of the caffeine, this is a much better delivery mechanism because of the steady rate. You could have decaf coffee and then spray yourself on the side."

Each $15 bottle of Sprayable Energy will contain about 40 spray on doses, each dose the caffeine equivalent of a cup of coffee. The product is unscented. For now.

(Note that If a spray is not your thing, there's always the caffeinated dermal patch.)

Would you rather spray on your caffeine?