TCU chemistry professor hypothesizes that the change in taste is chemical, physical
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The internet is hacking hard-to-swallow alcohol.
TikTok users have discovered that taking a milk frother to a liquor of choice changes the taste of the beverage — reportedly for the better.
TikToker @timthetankofficial, who has 2.8 million followers on the app, gave the hack a shot in a video posted on July 24.
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After frothing a serving of silver Patron tequila for about 30 seconds, he gave it a taste compared to a shot of "un-frothed" Patron, confirming the major difference.
"This is 100 times smoother than the original," he said. "I cannot believe this actually works."
TikTok users have discovered that taking a milk frother to a liquor of choice changes the taste of the beverage. (Angelica Stabile/Fox News Digital)
So, what’s actually happening inside the shot glass?
Fox News Digital spoke with Texas Christian University chemistry professor Dr. Eric Simanek, who explained how using a frother could change the liquor's chemical properties.
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Frothing introduces "a little bit of heat," which can speed up chemical reactions and change the composition of the drink, Simanek said.
Texas Christian University chemistry professor Dr. Eric Simanek revealed how using a frother could change a liquor's chemical properties. (Angelica Stabile/Fox News Digital)
Frothing also introduces oxygen, which can "react with flavorful molecules," the chemist added.
"However, that reaction is likely to be very slow (if it hadn't occurred already in the bottle or barrel, etc.)," he wrote in an email response.
The reason for the change in flavor profile could be as simple as the presence of bubbles, an expert said. (iStock)
The professor suggested that the change could also be physical, altering the way humans perceive the drink’s taste.
"Taste is more a function of smell with the nose than taste with the tongue," Simanek said.
TCU chemistry professor Dr. Eric Simanek suggested that the reaction to liquor frothing could be both chemical and physical. (Angelica Stabile/Fox News Digital)
The reason for the change in flavor profile, in this case, could be as simple as the presence of bubbles.
"Frothing introduces bubbles ... lots of them," Simanek said. "The bubbles rearrange the molecules in the drink and collect flavorful, greasy molecules on the bubbles' surface ... exactly like a soap bubble."
"Anything that alters your ability to perceive how much you've consumed is going to be dangerous."
"I'd posit that when one drinks in these fine bubbles, they burst, making these flavorful, greasy molecules fly up into the air into the mouth, allowing them to be smelled with the nose," he went on. "This process is probably what affects the flavor."
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If bubbles are the reason for a flavor change, Simanek assumed the drink would revert to its "normal" state as soon as the bubbles dissipate, which has been reported by experimenters.
While this hack might encourage some to drink hard liquor more frequently, Simanek warned drinkers to be careful when giving liquor-frothing a try. (Angelica Stabile/Fox News Digital)
"It's the case with champagne, where fine bubbles are associated with a finer product," he said.
"There has been science published in very prestigious research journals that addresses this phenomenon."
While this hack might encourage some to drink hard liquor more frequently, Simanek warned drinkers to be careful when giving liquor-frothing a try.
"Anything that alters your ability to perceive how much you've consumed is going to be dangerous," he said.
"And sometimes, one more experiment may not be worth it."
Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle writer for Fox News Digital.
