Why Carbonated Drinks Taste So Good

It's not your imagination that fountain soda at fast food restaurants and convenience stores and freshly opened bottles of soda and sparkling wine hit a little different. Scientifically speaking, carbonated beverages really do taste better. Not only are there millions of tiny bubbles to keep our palates primed for flavor, but drinks that are destined for carbonation are also formulated a little bit differently to compensate for the effects of carbon dioxide, which is the gas that's responsible for all that fizz.

Bubbly drinks, be it seltzer, soda, or even Champagne, are made up of some type of delicious liquid with carbon dioxide dissolved in it. When the liquid is under pressure, the carbon dioxide stays put; when it's open to the air, the gas can escape as tiny bubbles. When that happens, the carbon dioxide reacts with the water in the liquid to create carbonic acid, which actually tastes distinctly acidic or sour. Our mouths then perceive that acidity as refreshing, much like the sourness in margaritas or a beer and lemonade summer shandy.

Now obviously the people who make these drinks know that there's going to be some added acidity when their beverages are served, which is why they load up the still liquids with extra flavor and sugar so that they will taste better when they're carbonated. This is why flat soda and sparkling wine taste so one-note — they need those bubbles in order to taste balanced.

Carbonic acid's flavor isn't the entire story behind the magic of carbonated drinks, however. The bubbles themselves deliver flavor, aroma, and effervescence to your tongue and nose, which trigger pain and pleasure sensors in your brain. So when you stick your nose into a flute to sniff a swirl of Champagne or Cava (and no, they are not the same), you're lighting up parts of your mind that know you're about to sip something truly tasty. This might also explain why humans crave a carbonated drink on a hot day or special occasion — your brain is wired to think beverages with bubbles are better. You can even trick yourself into better hydration by reaching for seltzer. So just chalk it up to science if you're thirsty for something sparkling, and pop that top.