SOFT DRINK

Soft drinks are drinks which do not contain any alcohol content. They are often taken cold and are made by mixing either dry ingredients and/or fresh ingredients with water. While most drinks can be classified as beverages, not all beverages are soft drinks. Drinks that cannot be termed as soft drinks include tea, hot chocolate, coffee, milk and milkshakes, juices and tap water - generally, all drinks containing any dairy product fall into this group. For a drink to be soft, it has to undergo a treatment process to preserve it so that it can enjoy longer shelf life. For this reason, most soft drinks are carbonated. There are some that are non-carbonated though.

They can be made at home by mixing syrups or dry ingredients with carbonated water. You can make carbonated water by use of a home carbonation system. Some of the most common soft drinks available today include lemonades, fruit punches, flavored/sweetened water, iced tea, sweet tea, squashes, fruit juices, colas and sparkling water. Most energy drinks also fit into this category.

Known use of soft drinks goes back as far as the 11th century. Roots, flowers, herbs, fruits and other parts of plants were used to make various juices which had huge health benefits. The combination of the different ingredients made the drinks naturally carbonated. But it is right to say that soft drinks were in use even before then, for spring water which contains minerals was widely used around the world.

Carbonated Drink

A carbonated drink is one where carbon dioxide has been added to make it refreshing and enhance its taste. Carbonated drinks have their origin in carbonated water, in which different flavors such as wines, spices and juices are added to give the different tastes. The most common carbonated drinks are sodas and soda water. Carbonated drinks are also served as fountain drinks, where carbonation is added just before serving to increase concentration. They are packed in bottles, either plastic or glass.

Can Drink

Can drinks are mostly carbonated drinks but packed in aluminum cans instead of glass or plastic bottles. They are non-fizzy. The best examples of can drinks are energy drinks. Can drinks can be sweetened by addition of sweeteners.

Juice Drink

This is a special preparation of syrups from herbs, fruits, flowers, roots and other vegetables to make juices. Only natural ingredients are used to make them. For this reason, some of the ingredients can react to make the juices carbonated, naturally. Juices are best taken fresh where their preparation is made for immediate intake. With refrigeration facilities however, they can be kept for longer. The danger of storing juice drinks for long under natural conditions is that they can quickly ferment. They are known for their health benefits and are quite refreshing. Examples include carrot juices, spinach juice e.t.c.

Mineral Water

Unlike tap water, mineral water contains minerals and other dissolved substances that give it a characteristic sweet taste. These minerals give the water curative value. Mineral water can be obtained from natural springs, which naturally contain minerals. It can also prepared by the addition of different minerals into plain water. Some of the substances found in mineral water include sulfur compounds, salts and gases. Presence of minerals in water makes it hard, and the more minerals there are in the water, the harder it is. Today, commercialization of mineral water has risen tenfold and most of the water sold in bottles is mineral water. Some companies have rights to springs from which they obtain the water, while other companies simply add the required substances to make mineral water.