Favorite Alcoholic Drinks Look Stunningly Colorful Under a Microscope

So, we’ve seen what drugs look like under the microscope, but how about alcohol? The results might surprise you. Up close, some of our favorite adult beverages like the Margarita, Bloody Mary, and the Mint Julep look brilliantly-colored and feature vibrant patterns of magentas, blues, teals, and more. They are chaotic, abstract compositions that are delightfully loud and look like textural paintings rather than a mixed drink.

To create these images, photographs of the beverages were taken after they had crystallized on a slide. The polarized light of the microscope caused it to refract through the drink’s crystals which produces the effect that we see here. The idea for these photos actually dates back to the early 1990’s when Michael Davis, a research scientist at Florida State University, was looking for other ways to fund his lab. He had already compiled hundreds of images like these and realized that they had commercial potential. Nowadays, it’s possible to have a framed print of your beloved Gin and Tonic. A company called BevShots has captured the photographs and turned them into metallic prints, bar accessories, and even clothing.

Above drink: Mint Julep

American Amber Ale