Why do drinks taste better cold

Pop quiz time! Yes, there's a double-entendre in there. Can you tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi on the first sip? Do you have a preference between fountain soda and bottled soda? And for the bonus round, do you swear Coke at McDonald's boasts a superior flavor profile? Well, if you answered "yes" to one or more of the above questions, you not only have a rather refined soda palate, but you're probably curious as to why soda tastes different depending on how it's packaged.

You're thirsty for answers, and we've got 'em! First things first, when it comes to this ongoing battle: Soda makers will tell you it's the same recipe, same ingredients, and the same manufacturing process being used, no matter the packaging.

But again, soda makers disagree, insisting that perception of taste is influenced by things like how cold your fizzy beverage is and whether it's poured over ice. That's hard to swallow, though, if you're sure you can tell the difference between a can of soda and a bottle and have a strong preference.

Sara Risch , a food chemist, has inferred that you can go ahead and trust your taste buds. Companies try to squelch any reaction packaging might have on soda by lining cans with polymers. But, the polymer lining aluminum soda cans could absorb flavors. Carbonation refers to carbon dioxide dissolved in a liquid, and the rate at which carbon dioxide dissolves or is soluble depends on temperature.

When the temperature is raised, the rate of dissolution in liquid is decreased, and vice versa when the temperature is lowered. This basic principle explains how temperatures affect carbonation. The taste of carbonated drinks depends on the temperature at which they're stored.

This can be explained by the fact that temperature has to be lowered to stabilize the content of carbon dioxide. The resulting conditions will lower the pH to between 3. This is the reason why carbonated beverages should be consumed when cold. The process of carbonation is based on the principle that high pressure and low temperature maximize gas absorption.

The process begins once carbon dioxide is brought into contact with the liquid. The gas dissolves into the liquid until the pressure becomes equal to the pressure which pushes down the liquid to stop the process. So, I tried to think of possible reasons why this happens but, I cannot think of any possible explaination other than magic. If anyone knows why this might happen, it would be greatly appreciated since I am tripping out trying to figure out why this happens!

Generally, cold suppresses sweetness. As an example, consider soft drinks that are usually served cold: they taste sweeter when warm like you said with your examples of drinks. Our taste receptors send a stronger signal to the brain when activated by warmer substances and so the perception of sweetness, in this case, is lessened when we consume cold food or drinks. This channel requires a much lower positive charge for activation when it is warm than when it is cold.

Now if you were to put, e. This will result in it requiring a greater positive charge in order for the signals to travel to the brain.

This means overall also less signals are even received by the brain, thus resulting in us perceiving less sweetness. Another article 2 states, that a certain receptor for sweet taste perception is heat-activated.

So I guess there is no universal rule for any drink, you must look into further detail what the sweeteners are and which receptors would detect the taste. Sugar and other sweet things stimulate receptors in taste buds by binding to them with very weak chemical bonds known as hydrogen bonds.

These bonds are weaker at higher temperatures so sugar binds less strongly and weaker signals get to the brain and the drink tastes less sweet. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group.

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