QUESTION = Why does alcohol leave such a recognizable smell on your breath when non-alcoholic drinks, like Coke, don't?

GENERATION = Alcohol is a volatile organic compound, meaning it evaporates easily. When it does this, it leaves behind a smell. If you drink a lot of alcohol, it's likely that you'll be breathing in the same amount of alcohol as you were before, so it will leave a strong smell. If you drink a lot of water, it will evaporate more quickly, so it will leave a much less strong smell. But if you drink a lot of water, and then drink a lot of alcohol, the alcohol will evaporate faster, and you'll have a stronger smell. The only reason you don't notice this is that alcohol isn't volatile. It doesn't readily evaporate. But it does readily evaporate when it comes into contact with air. The molecules of alcohol are very large, and so they have a lot of surface area to interact with air. This means that the alcohol will interact with the air much more readily, and it will have a stronger smell. But you won't notice this unless you're drinking lots of water, because the water will dilute the alcohol and the alcohol will remain relatively unchanged. Edit: a word. 

RETRIEVAL #0 = Take a Whiff on Me---Band (1975 Album, "Australia") BULLET::::- Mungo Jerry (as “Have a Whiff on Me”, 1971 single) Section::::Print versions. BULLET::::- American Ballads and Folk Songs, John Lomax and Alan Lomax, 1934 as "Honey, Take a Whiff on Me" BULLET::::- Mission Mountain Wood Band, "Take a Whiff on Me", 1970 

RETRIEVAL #1 = Gin pahit---Navy drink ("..one had no ice, d'you see?") of Gin and bitters where the bitters were added to the glass first and barman would then ask "In or Out, Sir?" Also mentioned by Captain Biggar in "The Return of Jeeves" by P.G. Wodehouse. David A. Embury states that this drink is made with yellow gin and 3 dashes of Angostura bitters to 2 dashes of absinthe, in The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. Section::::See also. BULLET::::- List of cocktails 

RETRIEVAL #2 = List of alcoholic drinks---BULLET::::- Poitín aka potcheen, poteen, potheen BULLET::::- Shōchū Section::::See also. BULLET::::- List of cocktails BULLET::::- List of coffee beverages BULLET::::- List of national drinks BULLET::::- List of national liquors BULLET::::- List of tequilas BULLET::::- List of U.S. state beverages BULLET::::- List of vodkas BULLET::::- List of whisky brands 

RETRIEVAL #3 = Bermúdez (rum)---cocktails) BULLET::::- Limón (white low-tier lemon flavored) BULLET::::- London Dry Gin BULLET::::- Ginebra (Gin) BULLET::::- Vodka BULLET::::- Visage du Chat Toulousse Lautrec: Mint, Cream, Amaretto and Triple Sec (liqueur) BULLET::::- King´s Label (whisky) BULLET::::- King´s Label 12 años (whisky) 

RETRIEVAL #4 = Sugar alcohol---tons of sorbitol are produced in this way every year. Xylitol and lactitol are obtained similarly. Section::::Production.:Erythritol. Erythritol obtained by fermentation of glucose and sucrose. Section::::Health effects. Sugar alcohols do not contribute to tooth decay: on the contrary, xylitol is a deterrent to tooth decay. Sugar alcohols are absorbed at 50% of the rate of sugars, resulting in less of an effect on blood sugar levels as measured by comparing their effect to [sucrose]] using the glycemic index. The unabsorbed sugar alcohols may cause bloating and diarrhea due to their osmotic effect, if consumed in sufficient amounts. Section::::Common sugar alcohols. BULLET::::- Ethylene glycol (2-carbon) BULLET::::- Glycerol (3-carbon) BULLET::::- Erythritol (4-carbon) BULLET::::- Threitol (4-carbon) BULLET::::- Arabitol (5-carbon) BULLET::::- Xylitol (5-carbon) BULLET::::- Ribitol (5-carbon) BULLET::::- Mannitol (6-carbon) BULLET 

RETRIEVAL #5 = Gordon's Gin---in a bottle of Gordon's Gin and the label was in its export colours. In the film The Sting, Paul Newman’s character drinks Gordon’s Gin whilst playing cards with Robert Shaw's character. In the film The Big Heat, Gloria Grahame's character mixes a cocktail with Gordon's Gin. Section::::External links. BULLET::::- Gordon's Gin BULLET::::- Gordon's Gin on thebar UK, owned by Diageo 

RETRIEVAL #6 = Rum and Coke---as well as new opportunities for exporting alcohol. Light rums such as Bacardi became favored for cocktails, as they were considered to mix better than harsher dark rums. Coca-Cola had been a common mixer in the United States ever since it was first bottled in 1886, and it became a ubiquitous drink in many countries after it was first exported in 1900. Rum and Coke quickly spread from Cuba to the United States. In the early 20th century the cocktail, like Coca-Cola itself, was most popular in the Southern United States. During the Prohibition era from 1922–1933, Coca-Cola became a favored mixer for disguising the taste of low-quality rums, as well as other liquors. In 1921 H. L. Mencken jokingly wrote of a South Carolina variant called the "jump stiddy", which consisted of Coca-Cola mixed with denatured alcohol drained from automobile radiators. After Prohibition, rum and Coke became prevalent in the Northern and Western U.S. as well, and in both high-brow and low-brow circles. Rum and Coke achieved a new level of popularity during World War II. Starting in 1940, the United States established a series of outposts in the British West Indies to defend against the German Navy. The American presence created cross-cultural demand, with American servicemen and the locals developing tastes for