Bubbles make everything more exciting, don’t you think? And bubbly cocktails sound perfect for summer.
Carbonated cocktails have been slowly becoming a trend in bars across the country – and we’re not just talking about adding a splash of Diet Coke to your Jack Daniels. In fact, many people are becoming more health conscious and are trying to get rid of all of the weird stuff that is added to commercially produced sodas (but still find a way to keep the bubbles). On top of tickling your tongue, carbonation has a way of bringing out complicated flavors more quickly and carries aromas right up to your nose.
It’s great that bartenders can play with carbonation in their drinks, but what are we supposed to do if we want to get a little creative at home?
Cue: The SodaStream
SodaStreams have become very popular for making seltzers and sodas at home. Of course, some of our fellow liquor fanatics have started trying their own recipes. Warning: there are horror stories of people adding forbidden liquids (aka alcohol) that end up exploding out of the machine. If you add anything that SodaStream would not recommend, you kill the warranty and risk breaking the machine. BUT – if you get things right, the results are worth it.
Okay, with that little disclaimer out of the way, we’re ready to move on.
For your first experiment, we’d recommend starting out slow and easy. Pick your favorite bottle of white wine and put it through the machine. You will get a lovely sparkling wine that tastes far more expensive than it actually is.
After that, just make a normal cocktail you really enjoy and then put it in the SodaStream. Obviously, there shouldn’t be any chunks of herbs or fruit – add those later. We’ve heard good things about spiked lemonade, margaritas and sangria. The sky is the limit, and it’s all about experimenting, so don’t be afraid to try something new.
On the bright side, SodaStream heard the cocktail lovers calling and they’re trying out a new model called “Night Spirit.” It offers non-alcoholic syrups for mojitos, margaritas and cosmopolitans (but you still have to add the alcohol after you’ve made the carbonated base). It seems to only be available in the UK right now, so maybe by the time it hits the US, they will actually let us pour some alcohol in the machine. Until then, we’ll continue to be rebels and make our own bubbly booze.