Soda Water
© Denzil Green
Soda Water is carbonated water with a small amount of sodium bicarbonate (aka Baking Soda) in it.
It is not the same as plain carbonated water because of this addition. It is saltier tasting than most sparkling (aka carbonated) mineral waters. Because of the sodium bicarbonate in it, people often drink it to relieve mild indigestion.
It is used in making many cocktails. When people order a Scotch and Soda at the bar, they expect it to come with Soda Water — carbonated water that has at least a trace amount of sodium bicarbonate in it (though some Scotch aficionados think that anyone who would do this is deranged.)
In North America, it is often generically referred to as “Club Soda.”
If in North America the ingredient list on a bottle or can of Club Soda (aka Soda Water) seems identical to that of Seltzer Water (aka Carbonated Water), then the difference will come out in the nutrition list: there you’ll find that Club Soda has sodium in it. Ingredients in Canada Dry Club Soda are: Carbonated Water, Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Sulfate, Disodium Phosphate.
If you’re still not convinced that there’s a difference, set a glass of Soda Water next to a glass of Carbonated Water.Let them both go flat over night, then taste them in the morning. The taste difference will be more pronounced.
It is sold directly to consumers in cans or bottles.
Soda Water Siphon
© Denzil Green
Soda water can be made at home with a soda siphon bottle. You put about a teaspoon of baking soda in the bottle, then fill with plain, still water. You screw the lid on, shake well, then attach and release the carbon bomb into it. You can also buy packs of sodium bicarbonate tablets to use instead of sodium bicarbonate out of the box.
If you’re planning on providing Soda Water for a party, it can be best to buy it in bottles or cans, rather than spending all night keeping the soda siphon made up and filled.
- Some add it to batter such as used for fish or tempura to make the batter light and crispy;
- Some swear by Soda Water for removing strains from material or carpeting. For this, it works just as well when flat — the fizz doesn’t add anything to the process here;
- Some recommend using Soda Water to clean the surfaces of griddles. You heat the griddle, then pour Soda Water on and scrub with the griddle brick. Don’t do this for griddles with non-stick surfaces, but then, non-stick surfaces shouldn’t need this kind of cleaning, anyway. The water will get very hot and splatter, so be careful — you may wish to have an oven glove on.
Language Notes
In the UK, Club Soda is a registered trademark of the Cantrell & Cochrane Company in Belfast, which first registered the trademark on 11 September 1877, and kept the trademark active there (current as of 2012.) They noted in their filing that they first used the term commercially on 1 September 1877.
In North America, Club Soda is now a generic term. Cantrell & Cochrane Company filed for a US trademark on 1 September 1905, and received one: #71012135. The trademark is now listed as expired.
Sources
S.J. Probert. Hearing Officer, The UK Patent Office. “IN THE MATTER OF TRADE MARK APPLICATION m 1455166 BY SODA-CLUB LTD TO REGISTER THE MARK SODA-CLUB” (PDF). ” 17 November 1998. Retrieved October 2012 from http://www.ipo.gov.uk/tm/legal/decisions/inter1998/o23198.pdf