Soda siphons add a touch of novelty

The soda syphon, also known by the name seltzer bottle or syphon seltzer bottle, is a device used for dispensing soda water into a cup, glass or other container. Pretty straight-forward stuff actually.

You're probably familiar with the device, though may not have known the exact monachre that it goes by. The soda syphon can usually seen as a gag bit in movies and comedy routines, like the Three Stooges and the like.

As a bartender since 1989, I've become very familiar with this device, though I've never been required to use one extensively behind the bar.

More on my bartending prowess further down the page, but now let's move on to talking about...

The Soda Siphon

As you can see from the picture to the right, the soda syphon utilizes co2 to dispense soda water for drinking. It was developed after the French had introduced the concept of aerosol cans and the like.

Basically, the device adds co2 to the water in the container to produce a bubbly mixture. It's the same as soda water you can purchse in the grocery store, just a different way of getting the end product.

A soda syphon is a must-have appliance for the kitchen of any serious collector. It would also make a great accompaniment to any bar or bartender. Certainly would be a great conversation starter, at the very least.

The seltzer dispenser utilizes a co2 cartridge inserted into the bottle, and they can be easily replaced when empty.

Bartending supplies

As I mentioned earlier, I've been slinging drinks from behind a bar for more than 20 years +/-, off and on of course; I've dabbled in other lines of work, but I always seem to come back to the food service industry, and more specifically bartending.

the soda syphon is ideal as a a gadget behind the bar because of its unique functionality. anybody can serve soda from an can, bottle or a 'soda gun' but not too many bars actually use a seltzer dispenser. The novelty alone makes the manual soda dispenser worthy of praise and mention.

So, as you can see from the video, soda siphons are actually quite user friendly. Many don't think of a soda dispenser as a must-have for the kitchen, but the device can certainly lend a touch of novelty to any décor.

Brief history of the soda siphon - Way back in the 1870s the concept of self-pressurized carbonation was developed in France, and later carbonation siphons were released in 1929, when two Frenchmen claime the patent on a hollow corkscrew siphon.

This model used a valve allowing the portion of its content to be pressurized inside the bottle. Later, carbonated beverages became quite popular and the current model of soda siphon has even been taken a step further by allowing home users to prepared carbonated beverages at their convenience with cost-effective pricing.

Soda water works well with whisky or brandy. For non-alcoholic drinks you may prefer clean soda water with added salt or flavored drinks. Cocktails and even draught beer needs some carbonation to be added for its taste, but that happens during the brewing process.

My favorite way to utilize the carbonated water is by mixing it with Vodka and garnishing the cocktail with a lemon, a lime, or both. When I order this drink at a restaurant or club, I simply ask the bartender or waitress for a Stoli & soda with a lemon/lime. the clear liquor combined with the clear mixer makes for a cocktail light in calories, which won't hurt my waistline and will help eliminate any hangovers I may have otherwise experienced.

That's not scientific advice, it's just something that's worked for me over the years. If you'd like, you can check out some of my other Hubs that are loosely related...

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