Re: [CH] Peppers & Vodka
Rob Solarion (solarion@1starnet.com)
Thu, 2 Aug 2001 17:23:51 -0600
Dear Chile-Heads : It just dawned on me today why vodka extinguishes the
hot feeling in the mouth, as described in that book. Capsaicin is an acid.
Vodka is an alcohol, which is an alkali or base. Some alcoholic beverages
are acidic, like wine which gets its acidity from the grapes; but vodka can
be 80-100 proof, or almost half pure alcohol. Thus, vodka would be
alkaline. Mixing an acid and a base produces a salt and plain water. So
that is probably what happens in the mouth when the alcohol "neutralizes"
the capsaicin. Or so it would logically seem to me. Roberto