Alexa Kistler, a 38-year-old mindfulness coach from the East Bay, married her sweetheart last July, in a beautifully whimsical ceremony in the California redwoods, surrounded by 150 of her nearest and dearest and a table loaded with 15-milliliter glass vials of ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol probiotic shots, a shelf-stable, genetically engineered hangover-prevention drink.
“I wanted to provide the best possible experience for everybody,” she said. “These make drinking fun again.”
One shot offers around 18 hours of protection, according to San Francisco-based ZBiotics. The protection comes from a bioengineered enzyme that breaks down acetaldehyde, a toxic, gut-lingering byproduct of alcohol that causes those morning-after headaches and stomach gymnastics.
Kistler paid around $1,350 for each wedding guest to have a bottle, but it was a worthwhile expense, she said. “It really improves the experience of alcohol. … It’s back to how drinking felt in college.”
For as long as people have consumed alcohol, remedies have been touted to reduce the related hangovers, from greasy fry-ups that allegedly “mop up” toxins to concierge IV drips that quickly replenish electrolytes. Recently, Instagram has been spamming users with ads for Safety Shot, a drink that allegedly reduces blood alcohol content levels, and Partysmart, an anti-hangover pill that promises to prevent acetaldehyde build-up.
ZBiotics, a Y Combinator-backed biotech startup founded in 2016 by Zack Abbott, a Ph.D. microbiologist, is a paradigm shift for people who occasionally over-indulge at weddings (that is, most of us). Created to reframe the public conversation around GMO products — “proudly GMO” is stamped on the bottles — ZBiotics became commercially available in 2019.
“We took a safe bacteria and engineered it to break down a toxic byproduct of alcohol, so you feel better the next day,” said Abbott. “People were very skeptical, as there’s lots of snake oil. … We had to convince them we’d done something different.”
The company has sold more than 5 million units — priced at $36 for a three-pack and $108 for a 12-pack — and in August raised a $12 million Series A, bringing its total funding to $26 million. A second ZBiotics product, focusing on the gut, will be out this fall.
From the beginning, weddings were a really “obvious use case,” Abbott said. He had vials of Pre-Alcohol on the bar at his wedding reception, and ZBiotics is regularly approached by wedding planners. But a shot is not a “get out of jail free” card, Abbott cautioned. “It still necessitates somebody making good decisions. … It’s another tool for the responsible drinker.”
Marina resident June Lee, a gaming manager at Microsoft, meticulously assembled 20 gift bags for her wedding party in July. Each contained a personalized water bottle, a sugar cookie with the couple’s likeness, instant ramen, Pocky sticks, candies, and a ZBiotics vial. “I said to take one an hour before drinking, to help with your hangover,” said Lee. “We wanted people to have a good time.”
Lee’s not a big drinker — she’d rather run marathons, ski, or play tennis — but she does like wine. In recent years, though, two glasses often lead to headaches, fatigue, and vomiting. She first encountered the probiotic at a bachelorette party, when a ZBiotics-employed bridesmaid handed out bottles.
“It tasted citrusy,” said Lee, who downed it before a wild night of eight drinks and shots. “I wasn’t 100% when I woke up, but I didn’t throw up.” Impressed, she ordered some for her May bachelorette in Ibiza, Spain, and reordered it for her nuptials in July.
Don Norton, owner of Noe Valley Wine and Spirits, has stocked ZBiotics since November 2023 and sells around 270 vials a week (they’re displayed right by the checkout counter). “I’m a skeptic, but this is the first [anti-hangover] treatment that makes me feel better the next day,” he said.
Not everyone has rave reviews. Sarah Cone, a venture capitalist at Social Impact Capital, complained on X that she took ZBiotics before drinking, “and it didn’t really work: the alcohol still impacted my sleep score.” Some Redditors have reported indigestion and stinky farts.
Jim Mitroka, a retired pharmaceutical research scientist, posited in a blog post published by the American Council on Science and Health that the product is “unlikely to work,” as it “never gets into the blood where it could neutralize the acetaldehyde.” ZBiotics acknowledges that around 5% of users won’t see a benefit, due to microbiome differences; Abbott says the company has a “100% money back” guarantee.
For Kushan Shah, a 31-year-old marketing manager at Grammarly, an AI writing assistant, the shot has become a party must-have. He signed up for monthly deliveries a few years ago after trying it at a party. “The next morning, I had a grad-school paper due, and I woke up and was completely functional,” he said. “Cognitively and energy-wise, I felt really great.”
Shah took ZBiotics to a friend’s bachelor party in Portland, Ore., where he gave one to the groom. “It’s a gift every bachelor appreciates,” he said. “They’re generally drinking more than anyone.” Recently, he used the probiotic at a wedding in Vermont. “I had a three-hour drive back the next morning. … ZBiotics were a really nice insurance policy, as I knew I wouldn’t wake up feeling bad.” The vials are expensive, he noted, but he rationalizes the price as the “cost of an additional drink on a night out.”
For Lee, the shots were a popular addition to her Rhode Island wedding. The location was especially meaningful to the San Francisco couple, as it was where they got engaged. The day was magical, she said, as was their two-week European honeymoon this August. “We took our leftover stash of ZBiotics bottles with us,” said Lee. “It’s best to be prepared.”
This story has been updated with correct fundraising totals for ZBiotics.