Chemistry is all around us, even in the most unexpected moments… and even in our cocktails!
To mark the 2026 Festival of Science, researchers* from Softmat, in collaboration with their colleagues** from the SPCMIB laboratory and the youth network of the French Chemical Society, invited the general public to discover the scientific phenomena behind cocktails. First, at an evening event at Le Loup Blanc bar in Toulouse – which specialises in original creations, both visually and in terms of flavour – and then during a special session on the campus of the University of Toulouse, the aim was to explore what goes on behind the scenes of these creations and understand how chemistry can transform the appearance, texture or colour of a cocktail.
* Fabrice Collin & Amanda Robinson from BIBAC team ; Clément Roux & Anne-Françoise Mingotaud from IDeAS team
** Cécile Dehoux & Chantal Galaup
There were four workshops:
- Dry ice and colour change
How can lemon juice or the carbon dioxide contained in dry ice alter the pH of a cocktail and change its colour?
- Liquid spheres
Exploring spherification by making alginate spheres, inspired by molecular mixology
- Layered cocktails
Cocktails with layered colours and the role of liquid density - Fluorescent cocktails
Fluorescence (caused by the quinine in tonic water, for example) and observing a cocktail under a new light (UV lamp or laser)
To find out more:
