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Alcohol Chemistry Biochemistry

How is alcohol-free beer made?

Alcohol-free beer is increasingly popular and sought-after as people become warier of their alcohol intake. A few decades ago alcohol-free beer was a poor imitation, but these days it’s steadily improving and some examples can hold their own compared to the real thing. This graphic takes a look at how alcohol-free beer is defined, the […]

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Alcohol Chemistry Cocktail Chemistry

#NationalMojitoDay: The chemistry of a mojito

It’s Friday, and it’s National Mojito Day tomorrow (July 11)! Here’s a look at some of the chemistry that goes into this popular cocktail.

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Alcohol Chemistry

Port wine chemistry: Types, colours, ageing and flavours

Port’s often relegated to the festive period, and forgotten about for the rest of the year (at least, in the UK). Which is a shame, as if you look beyond the standard ruby port, there are several other delicious types, particularly the varieties that are aged for longer periods of time. There’s also some interesting […]

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Alcohol Chemistry C&EN

St. Patrick’s Day: The Chemistry of Guinness – in C&EN

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Here’s a throwback to an old edition of Periodic Graphics which looks at the chemistry behind the bubbles and bitterness of Guinness. You can view the full graphic over on the C&EN site.

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Alcohol Chemistry

The Chemistry of Vodka – Structure, Additives, and Impurities

You could be forgiven for thinking there’s not a great deal that’s interesting about the chemistry of vodka. After all, isn’t it essentially just a mix of two compounds, ethanol and water? Though this is pretty much the case, there’s more to vodka than you might expect. Here we take a look at some of […]

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Alcohol Chemistry Science Hits the Bar

Science Hits the Bar – The Chemistry of Cocktail Gelification

Here’s the third and final entry in the series of graphics I’ve produced for my Pint of Science event at La Raza, Cambridge (UK). Today’s graphic looks at how chemistry can help to turn cocktails into jellies, and some of the different chemical agents that can be used.