Carbonated Drink Fun Facts For You

The science of carbonating drinks with beverage grade CO2 is pretty simple: When dissolved in liquid water, carbon dioxide gas will produce bubbles for as long as it is kept under pressure – take the top off a bottle of soda and it will go “flat.”

But why do carbonated drinks taste good?

Here’s the deal: When a bottle of carbonated beverage is opened, carbon dioxide gas reacts with water to form carbonic acid, giving the drink a slight acidity (which is often compounded by stronger acids added by the drink manufacturer). When carbonation bubbles waft toward the drinker’s nose, it also enhances the flavors of the drink, while bubbles in the mouth create a satisfying sensation on the tongue.

Did those fun facts wet your whistle? Here are five more.

Five more things you probably didn’t know about carbonated drinks

1. Within a closed bottle, the amount of carbon in the air and in solution are in equilibrium. When the bottle is opened, this equilibrium is disrupted, with the liquid containing more CO2 than the air around it. To restore equilibrium, the dissolved carbon dioxide will escape into the atmosphere directly through the liquid’s surface via rising bubbles. When most of the gas is expelled, the solution reaches a new equilibrium by becoming flat.
2. The speed at which carbon dioxide escapes a vessel is largely determined by how wide the surface area is in which the drink is contained: A wide mouth glass will lose CO2 gas more quickly than a narrow bottle or champagne flute.
3. Within the glass, bubbles are formed through a process called heterogeneous nucleation (that is, when something changes from a liquid to a gas). Nucleation happens as a result of gas pockets forming in the solution due to imperfections in the glass; the more flawed or uneven the glass surface, the more bubbles (a reason why many vessels for carbonated drinks have uneven surfaces).
4. In nature, carbonation sometimes occurs as the result of fermentation. Since carbon dioxide and alcohol are both natural products of fermentation, many alcoholic beverages become carbonated in the bottle.
5. In most sodas, sparkling waters, and some beers and sparkling wines, carbon dioxide is forcefully dissolved into water with pressure. Sodas tend to be highly carbonated, but champagnes can often be up to 1.5 times stronger.

Need to learn more facts about carbonation for your bar or restaurant? We can help. Contact us today to learn more.