What is the difference between sparkling water and tonic water

A citrussy element is introduced often via the use of citric acid. The key difference is that tonic contains quinine, which introduces the bitter element in the drink and sugar. For more about tonic water, read our more comprehensive post here. Back Articles Sydney Bar Guide. Discover the difference between tonic, soda and sparkling water in this short guide. Cocktail Queries is a Paste series that examines and answers basic, common questions that drinkers may have about mixed drinks, cocktails and spirits.

Check out every entry in the series to date. But they can also be a bit confusing. Or sparkling mineral water? Tonic is the most unique and distinctive of carbonated waters, and by far the easiest to identify from taste alone. It is sparkling water that has been infused with both minerals and quinine, a powder isolated from the ground bark of the cinchona tree. Quinine has a distinctly bitter, mineral flavor, which is balanced in almost all commercial tonic waters by added sugars or sweeteners.

While tonic water has calories, soda water is shown to increase a hunger hormone, ghrelin. With increased ghrelin levels, a person feels hungrier and will munch on more food. This can lead to a weight gain. La Croix, we're on to you. If you're trying to cut back on sugary drinks, be wary of these two carbonated drinks. With added sugars, both soda water and tonic water can potentially lead to tooth decay, weight gain, and an upset stomach.

When considering soda water vs tonic water, the main takeaway is that soda water uses carbon dioxide that's under pressure, while tonic water contains quinine. My suggestion? Keep it simple and pair tonic water with gin, and substitute a sugary Coke with a flavored soda water. Coffee Tea Perfect for when you're First, the similarities — all three are made from carbonated water, which is created by injecting bubbles of carbon dioxide CO2 into water to make it fizz.

Traditional tonic water generally contains four ingredients:. Sparkling water has a clean, neutral taste that makes it great for cooking — not to mention a refreshing alternative to plain old tap water. In fact, many people think the two interchangeable, but there IS a big difference. Genuine sparkling mineral waters come from underground water sources that are rich in natural minerals and salts.

They get their bubbles from the natural gasses in these mineral springs although manufacturers often add more CO2 afterwards to up the bubble-factor. That means it can taste a little bitter and salty.