Chemistry Mocktails Blend Science and Art

What do you get when you melt freshly spun ginger-sugar cotton candy in sparkling hibiscus tea?

The summery mocktail created by Maria Hidalgo '25 called "Un Sueño de Amapola" ("A Poppy's Dream") demonstrates how temperature affects the solubility of sugar in water.

Hidalgo's sweet creation is one of many original mocktails displayed as visual art by students in Assistant Professor of Chemistry Xin Qi's winter term CHEM 75 class, each demonstrating fundamental aspects of physical chemistry. Their creations are exhibited just outside the chemistry department's main office on the first floor of Burke Hall.

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Professor Xin Qi

"All over the world, physical chemistry is considered hard and somewhat boring," Qi says. "Traditionally, the content could be dry. However, physical chemistry is ubiquitous. It serves as the foundation for many useful reactions, cutting-edge technologies, or even delicate gourmet creations; one example is the beautiful presentation of cocktails. I designed this project to inspire students to link concepts and math they learn in class to fun observations in real life."

CHEM 75 covers fundamental thermodynamics, including math derivations on thermodynamic functions and insight into how thermodynamic properties yield phase diagrams—a graphical representation that summarizes the effects of temperature, pressure, and composition on a chemical system.

The end-of-term project required students to design mocktails that make use of physical chemistry content, and to present their creations in an artistic way. 

"'Un Sueño de Amapola' was inspired by the desire to make a drink that you could experience and interact with," says Hidalgo. "I was able to use creativity to express my knowledge on the course topics, as well as see how chemistry is even in something as basic as a drink!" 

The "Sub-Zero Submarine" by Jeancarlos Llerena '26—"A drink so cold, it passes sub-arctic water temperatures!"—demonstrates colligative properties, where adding salt into water decreases water's melting point from 0 Celsius to -3. (This is the underlying physics behind why we sprinkle salt on icy roads.)

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An excerpt from Jeancarlos Llerena '26's CHEM 75 project

"I think physical chemistry really opened my eyes to the deep connection between chemistry, math, and the nuances of everyday life," says Llerena. "Being able to actually connect the concepts of the course to a mocktail project further established a fun example of real-world p-chem."

"I've been continuously impressed by our students and very proud of all artistic creations," says Qi, who first introduced the project to CHEM75 students last year. "I hope the project transforms students' perception of physical chemistry."

For Llerena, Qi's class ultimately reminded him of the "endless ways chemistry shapes our experiences, from the fundamentals of phase changes to the creativity behind what we eat and drink."