You might already know the difference between cottage or shepherd’s pie, or be able to tell your jam from your preserves.
But personally, I’ve never really understood the difference between sparkling and soda water ― even though I’m fairly sure I could tell them apart on a blind taste test.
It seems I’m not alone. In a Reddit post shared to r/cocktails, site user u/WillingnessHuman7148 asked mixologists and enthusiasts to share the difference between the two.
“Are they all the same thing or what?” he added (I have similar questions!).
And?
Sparkling water company Dash says that though the pair “bear striking similarities and there’s often a lot of confusion between the two,” they are made in different ways.
“Both soda water and sparkling water are made by infusing still spring water with carbon dioxide under pressure, creating the fizz,” Dash says.
“However, soda water is further infused with bicarbonate of soda to help the drink hold its bubbles when spirits are added.”
This makes soda water feel a bit fizzier than sparkling kinds. It may also contain other minerals than bicarbonate of soda, though they do tend to be sodium-based.
And yes, I do feel a little bit silly for not realising that the “soda” in “soda water” refers to sodium bicarbonate.
So what’s the deal with club soda?
What we call soda water in the UK tends to be called club soda across the pond.
Perhaps that’s why vodka company Grey Goose writes on their site that soda or soda water is the same as sparkling, but says club soda has added minerals.
Still, in many bars, u/barbusinesscoach’s comment rings true: “Most bars you go to club soda, soda water and sparkling water would all be the same thing, carbonated water,” they said.
“While it is true club soda traditionally has more minerals in it, they are frankly interchangeable terms at this point.”