Ever Wondered What Dry Whiskey Looks Like?

Some people have a lot of time on their hands. And for that we are thankful. A odd team of five research scientists from Princeton and a photographer from Phoenix have looked into the physical appearance and dynamics of dried whiskey. Yes, dried whiskey.

Just like any other drink, whiskey too dries up at some point. The only difference is that dry whiskey residue is like a few time prettier than any other dry liquid residue. Nope, not even coffee and tea rings make the cut. Have a look!

Ardbeg

See what I mean?

Spirit-ual Science

In a study published earlier this year, the team talks about the “surface coatings and patterning technologies are essential for various physicochemical applications.” Additionally they also talk about the key parameters to achieve uniform particle coatings from binary solutions.

Basically, the science lovers can obsess over the chemical and physical properties of the process, while the artistically inclined folks can drool all over the results captured by the photographer, Ernie Button, in a series titled ‘Vanishing Spirits: The Dried Remains of Single Malt Scotch’.

Aberlour Abunadh

Laphroaig

Glenlivet

How It Happened

Button first noticed the whiskey dregs at the bottom of his glass a decade ago and started photographing them under coloured lights to accentuate the patterns, reports NY Times.

The photographer followed up his observation with a deeper study about the phenomenon. This eventually led to him bumping into Howard A. Stone, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Princeton, who shared Button’s curiosity on the subject. The result is a folio of mesmerizing pictures and a kickass scientific report.

The report cites the reason behind the gorgeous dry whiskey pattern saying that the alcohol in whiskey evaporates, the concentration of water increases, and that creates flows that generate the patterns.

Lagavulin

Meanwhile, there was some curry residue on my plate. I licked it off, of course!

Images: Ernie Button