When pouring a fizzy drink why tilt the glass?
Ok stupid question but here goes – when pouring a fizzy drink (beer, coke, whatever) does it help to tilt the glass sideways.
If you pour the drink with glass standing up the bubbles are much more intense, where as if you tilt the glass the bubbles are much less.
Why is this? I thought it was surface area of the liquid being greater but I think this is rubbish… any thoughts?
WyleCoyote
on November 30th, -0001
I belive it all to do with surface area the more the area the big the area the bubble(the bubble arn’t bunched uptogather so don’t get to jiggy with it) can get so creating less of a ‘head’
SkateRForeveR
on November 30th, -0001
It’s just how much you agitate the liquid that matters – same as stirring it up.
Tilting means that the liquid does not have as far to fall before hitting glass, and so is less agitated.
Fractalfallout
on November 30th, -0001
its true if you tilt the glass theres less fizz dont know how it works!
ontheplains
on November 30th, -0001
it hits the glass at more of a slant so less coke bounces straight back, so it runs into the glass better, thats why, causes less impact on the glass
Grapes
on November 30th, -0001
it stops it having too much head, and spoiling the look….
StarGirl
on November 30th, -0001
some people say that the fizz will stay in the drink that way and will not go flat easily.
NaughtyNinja
on November 30th, -0001
It gives the smallest distance to the side of the glass so it falls softer than it would from the top of a vertical glass thus stopping it from foaming over.
Cocktail
on November 30th, -0001
There are several factors at play when you pour a soda.
When you pour down the side of the glass, then the soda doesn’t decelerate as quickly. Deceleration causes agitation, which causes the carbon dioxide that’s dissolved in the soda to be released, which makes foam. So when you decelerate the soda more smoothly, it doesn’t foam as much.
On the flipside is beer. Beer is carbonated, and it foams, but when you agitate it it allows the beer to breathe and release flavor. So you want it to foam a bit.
Pour beer down the side for the first quarter of the glass, then tip it upright and smoothly pour (without the chugalug thing) straight down the center.
Pour soda down the side always.
CheeseCake
on November 30th, -0001
it stops it fizzing up too much so it dosnt flow over.
CrispApple
on November 30th, -0001
When you tilt the glass and pour, the fizzy drink will have lesser kinetic energy as it moves a smaller distance from the bottle/can to the cup. This results in lesser molecules(or whatever the exact name is…) ‘knocking’ against each other and thus reducing the amount of bubbles.
StarbucksCoffee
on November 30th, -0001
pouring the drink onto the side of the glass instead of straight onto itself causes less froth by reducing the amount of agitation in the drink which causes it to froth up.
that is why people vigourously shake bottles of champagne after winning a race or something so they can spray everyone with it.
Sunburst
on November 30th, -0001
And a stupid answer too i guess. when a glass is tilted, the idea is that the liquid from the bottle glides down the wall of the glass to the bottom of the glass. this way force is not exerted to at once make a big bubbly fiz to top out over the glass if you had put it in with force at once. you will notice it rises gradually, not at once. this way you can control the flow and titlt the bottle away from giving a free gradual flow. Also the lake that is formed at the top of the glass is wider in size than it would have been if the glass were to stand vertical.
missbubbly
on March 5th, 2012
but does it make it flat or is it just the fact of reducing the size of the head in the glass?? is there anything actually rong with pouring it straight?
Jhwrk99
on January 13th, 2022
The thing is, it specifically is if it hits the side of the glass, it isn’t about the distance. You could pour it just above the level of the liquid on the side of the glass and it have just as few bubbles as if you poured it near the very rim of the glass.
Jhwrk99
on January 13th, 2022
The thing is, it specifically is if it hits the side of the glass, it isn’t about the distance. You could pour it just above the level of the liquid on the side of the glass and it’ll have just as few bubbles as if you poured it near the very rim of the glass.
Jhwrk99
on January 13th, 2022
Sorry for the double comment, and crazy that the recent comments are each 10 years apart.