Drinking Beer and Saying "Kya~"... It Comes Out at This Temperature

Chinese Researchers Investigate the Impact of Temperature and Alcohol Content on Liquor
Maximizing Beer Flavor and Aroma at 5 Degrees
Molecular Bond Structures Change with Temperature, Altering Taste
"Lower Molecular Cluster Concentration at Low Temperatures Leads to More Stimulating Flavor"

The reason why cold beer tastes better has been revealed. On the 21st, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported, "Professor Lei Zhang from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and his research team conducted a study to investigate the effects of factors such as temperature and alcohol by volume (ABV) on the molecular composition of alcohol."

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The researchers used a liquid mixture of ethanol and water, the main components of alcohol, and measured the contact angle of surface tension while varying the alcohol content in 1% increments. The contact angle is the angle formed when a liquid contacts a solid, indicating whether the liquid is hydrophobic, with weak affinity for water, or hydrophilic, the opposite property.

The experiment showed that as the alcohol content increased, the surface tension changed at certain stages. Notably, at each critical point, the ethanol ratio corresponded closely to the alcohol content of various drinks such as beer (5?7%), wine and sake (14?17%), and whiskey and vodka (35?43%).

The critical points of different alcoholic beverages are influenced by temperature. In the case of beer, a unique molecular structure forms at a low temperature of 5℃, allowing the distinctive aroma and flavor of beer to be strongly perceived.

Additionally, when professional tasters sampled the beer, they reported that the colder the beer, the more the alcohol stimulated the throat, and the flavor was enhanced. It was concluded that low-alcohol beverages like beer can increase refreshment and crispness through cooling.

The researchers explained, "Even with the same concentration of ethanol, the molecular bonding structure changes depending on temperature, causing about a 1% variation in concentration, which completely alters the taste of alcohol," adding, "At low temperatures, the concentration of molecular clusters decreases, making the taste of cold beer feel more stimulating."

They also stated, "We scientifically proved the practice of adjusting storage and drinking temperatures according to alcohol content," emphasizing that "this has significant implications for the development of the alcoholic beverage industry and the establishment of scientific standards."