Molecular Expressions Cocktail Collection
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Cocktails are classically defined as a beverage derived from a combination of distilled alcohol, such as vodka or whiskey, with a mixer. The mixer can be a very broad spectrum of fruit juices, sodas, liqueurs, vegetable juices, and just about everything else under the sun.

We have found these cocktails to be one of the most difficult subjects for photomicrography (photography with a microscope) that we have ever encountered. In our system, we must crystallize or orient the sample so that polarized light will be refracted as it passes through--giving us the beautiful patterns that we typically see with this type of microscopy. Unfortunately getting pure tequila (or its counterparts) to crystallize has proven to be extremely difficult. Without divulging all of our tricks, we have found methods (such as cooling with liquid nitrogen) that can be used to force crystallization on the most stubborn specimens. This gallery represents a significant part of our efforts in this arena.

The Cocktail links below lead to progressive JPEG images of the beverages that range in size from a minimum of 45 kilobytes up to about 125 kilobytes.


Amaretto - Honey-nut flavored crunch-with a punch.

Bahama Mama - 'Yo Mama.

Black Russian - Drink of the Czars.

Bloody Mary - The sure cure for what ails you.

Cape Codder - Back to the basics with a twister.

Coffee Cooler - Coffee milkshake that soothes and satisfies.

Cosmopolitan Martini - Joe Cool's preferred beverage.

Crown Royal - The very best in rye whiskey from Canada.

Eggnog Nashville - A Christmas special that will light your fire.

Fuzzy Navel - A cool shooter for hairy navels.

Gin - Heart of the famous martini.

Gin Sidecar - Too many of these and you won't know what side of the car you're on....

Gin and Tonic - The English way of serving Gin.

Grand Marnier - A fine French brandy that's good for you.

Grasshopper - This dessert drink will definitely give you a cavity.

Greyhound - The basic grapefruit cocktail.

Kahlua Java - Our personal favorite subsitute for McDonald's scalding java.

Kahlua Sour - One of the weirdest drinks that we've ever tasted but it sure looks good.

Kahlua - Good just by itself.

Kahlua Toreador - Don't get shot with this mighty Kahlua-brandy shooter.

Kamikaze - A favorite of Japanese pilots during the big one.

Lime Daiquiri - Frozen lime juice that will mellow you right out.

Long Island Iced Tea - Hold onto your hat and buy plenty of Alka-Seltzer.

Madras - Another fruit juice cocktail with good old vodka.

Margarita - Jimmy Buffett's still looking for his salt.

Martini - The drink of champions.

Mint Julep - Enjoy this one while you watch the alligators slide into the river.

Piña Colada - A tropical delight with rum, coconut, and pineapple.

Pink Lemonade - This is what the kids are trying to sell the neighbors.

Rum - One of the most popular ingredients for cocktails.

Rum and Cola - The old standby.

Rum Toddy - Rum sure is a lot sweeter with the sugar.

Rumrunner - One of our favorite lowballs.

Rye Whiskey - King of the hill until bourbon came along.

Sake (Saki) - Not a Spirit, not a wine, this stuff is made like beer.

Salty Dog - Enough of these and you'll feel like a dog.

Schnapps - The European shooter that put some holes in your game plan.

Scotch - A whiskey that is made exclusively in Scotland.

Scotch on the Rocks - Scotch with a little ice.

Screwdriver - The only driver that your're gonna screw is you.

Seabreeze - The usual vodka, cranberry, and grapefruit with yet another name.

Sex on the Beach - Not unless you like a lot of sand in your you-know-what.

Shirley Temple - You can drink these guys all night and still drive.

Sloe Gin Fizz - This will sloely get you pasted.

Spanish Moss - One of the deadliest combinations we've seen.

Strawberry Daiquiri - Summer fruits to get you blitzed.

Tequila - The spirit that will definitely give you religion.

Tequila Sunrise - This drink is so popular they named a movie after it.

Tom Collins - So popular they've named a glass after it.

Vodka - The most popular spirit on planet Earth.

Vodka and Tonic - Let's see....what can we do with vodka?

Whiskey - Bourbon, Irish, Rye, and Scotch say it all.

Whiskey Sour - This stuff will make your face pucker up.

White Russian - I can't believe it really tastes like chocolate milk.

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