Soda Water

Soda Water: The Lovely Fizz

 

The idea of making soda water was pure inventive genius. Who would have thought that by adding a little carbon dioxide to plain water, alcohol drinking people across the globe would be made happy? In 1767, an Englishman named Joseph Priestly did it by suspending a bowl of water above a beer vat. As the carbon dioxide infused the water, it created the fizz and generated a pleasant taste when drunk. In the 18^th century, soda water was formally introduced in England and made it to Kolkata in India in 1822. It became so famous that an entirely new term was coined for those who enjoyed the mixer before going to any gathering. The term was “dash and a splash” and referred to dropping into a friend’s house for the hospitality of a whiskey and soda.

 

Soda water, now also known as seltzer, is basically carbonated water made effervescent by passing pressurized carbon dioxide gas through the water. The name soda water most likely comes from the fact that it contains sodium salts which are added as flavorings. These salts act as acidity regulators and mimic the taste of mineral water. There are many ways to consume soda water. Most often it is taken plain as a remedy that alleviates gas attacks caused by indigestion. It is also used as a mixer for the hard liquors like Whiskey or Bourbon and used to make cocktails. Added to any fruit juice concentrate it generates the natural fizz making the drink a pleasant experience for everybody, including the children who love to burp after consuming it.

 

The best way to dilute any drink based on cordials or squashes is to add soda water to it. It is reported that the fizz makes it the perfect mixer. It makes “short” drinks such as Whiskies and Rums “long” by diluting them. It has also been suggested that the fizz of the soda water makes the assimilation of and recovery from alcohol easier for the body.