are held loosely together like tiny magnets. When water and
alcohol are mixed, each individual water molecule becomes
farther away from the other water molecules, making it
much easier for it to escape and vaporize. Since water- and
alcohol-soluble aromatic molecules can only be detected by
your nose if they escape into the air, it stands to reason that
the more evaporation occurred, the more aromatic my chili
would be.
I added a shot of liquor to my finished chili and gave it a
side-by-side sniff test with a boozeless batch. No doubt
about it, the alcohol improved its aromatic properties. After
a thorough tasting of vodka, scotch, bourbon, and tequila in
the name of good science, I came to the conclusion that in
chili, they’re all good.