Uploaded November 2019 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
In Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical, we had a smoking potion turn from green (which was used to represent Jekyll), and red (to represent Hyde). Here are the details of how the potion (which is safe to drink only when it is red) is made:
Pulverize red cabbage leaves and water in a blender. Pour the result through a strainer. The liquid will be blue or purple, depending on your tap water. Add a very small amount of sodium hydroxide. At high concentrations, the chemical is caustic, but at low concentrations, it is just alkaline enough to make the solution turn green. This mixture isn't really drinkable, because it is alkaline enough to do damage to your throat and esophagus.
Drop some dry ice into the green liquid to make it look like it is smoking. To turn it red, add a lot of clear vinegar. Now the potion is safe to drink, because it is less acidic than vinegar.
NOTE: The alakline nature of the sodium hydroxide degrades the anthocyanins, which provide the color change. Thus, this can only be mixed 10-15 minutes before it is used.
**Please note that using this short clip from the musical to illustrate the effect is considered "fair use" of a copyrighted work.
In Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical, we had a smoking potion turn from green (which was used to represent Jekyll), and red (to represent Hyde). Here are the details of how the potion (which is safe to drink only when it is red) is made:
Pulverize red cabbage leaves and water in a blender. Pour the result through a strainer. The liquid will be blue or purple, depending on your tap water. Add a very small amount of sodium hydroxide. At high concentrations, the chemical is caustic, but at low concentrations, it is just alkaline enough to make the solution turn green. This mixture isn't really drinkable, because it is alkaline enough to do damage to your throat and esophagus.
Drop some dry ice into the green liquid to make it look like it is smoking. To turn it red, add a lot of clear vinegar. Now the potion is safe to drink, because it is less acidic than vinegar.
NOTE: The alakline nature of the sodium hydroxide degrades the anthocyanins, which provide the color change. Thus, this can only be mixed 10-15 minutes before it is used.
**Please note that using this short clip from the musical to illustrate the effect is considered "fair use" of a copyrighted work.
