HYDERABAD: Flavoured sparkling water has become one of the latest trends in the city. Thankfully, the drink seems to do more than just make your order sound fancy! Simply put, it’s flavoured carbonated water.
Helping us understand it better, Madhu Rajigani, project manager at Tulleeho! Tulleeho Wine and Spirits Academy, says, “A majority of consumers seem to have a misconception about sparkling water. While carbonated water (soda) is highly fizzed because it is infused with carbon dioxide, sparkling water is already carbonated from a natural source. Its bubbles come from a spring or well with naturally occurring carbonation.”
Spurthi Kondapaneni, managing director at Liquid Art Bar Academy, explains, “Natural sparkling water is formed when volcanic gases dissolve in water in natural springs. This water has sodium or calcium in them. The combination of gas at high temperature and water at low temperature helps in carbon infusion in the water. As a result, it comes out as carbon dioxide bubbles when you open a bottle.”
To this sparkling water, natural or artificial essence is added, says Madhu. “One of the quality factors is whether the essence is natural or artificial. The latter is cheaper because manufacturers use artificial ones for less cost of production and longer shelf life.”
There are multiple kinds of flavoured sparkling water available in the city — watermelon, lemon, strawberry, raspberry, peach, mango, etc, says Spurthi. Madhu shares that they are available in floral flavours too. “Few even have hints of rose or lavender essence. They are probably not available in India yet, but are a hit in the international market.”
Madhu says that flavoured carbonated water is trending for the obvious reason of health consciousness. “The past two years woke up the health freaks in us, so people are turning to alternatives with less or no sugar, additives and alcohol. Also, consumer palettes have evolved, thanks to the exposure that came from people travelling to the farthest corners of the world.”