Cocktail Chemistry

Graeme Turnbull CChem and the committee of the North East Region Analytical Division held a 'Cocktail Chemistry' event on 2 November.

The event was very well-received and we sold out our allocation of 28 tickets. The guests comprised Royal Society of Chemistry members and their families and friends.

Noel Jackson, Head of Education at the International Centre for Life, delivered an informative and entertaining lecture on the history and origins of some of our favourite cocktails. A hands-on smelling and tasting of vodka highlighted how the source of the ethanol – from fermentation or crude oil – affected the flavour, and we all got to practise our formulating skills in making a 'screwdriver' variant.

The lecture concluded with a chance for everyone to try to make the perfect Irish coffee – a process that requires balancing the density of the coffee by addition of sugar to offset the decrease in density caused by the ethanol.

Finally, the guests had a chance to network with each other, Noel and the committee, and for us to hear suggestions of future events.

To join the North East Region Analytical Division (NERAD) committee or to find out more, contact Graeme Turnbull.