Almost everywhere you look there are warnings about why you should not be drinking so much soda. Yet, it is not putting that many of us off, as American’s consume an average of at least 40 gallons of it every year.
The answer it seems is to get creative with your home soda machine to create some exciting new flavors and to turn your drinkmaker into something that provides you with a healthy and refreshing beverage.
Going DIY to create your favorite drink
There are plenty of combinations when it comes to cold drinks and there are numerous DIY drinks that pack a fizz but don’t pile on the calories.
As soon as you view the KeurigKold overview for example and see how versatile drinkmakers can be, it should be enough to get your creative juices flowing and work on creating a healthy and refreshing drink.
If you are looking for some inspiration, you want to try and create your own homemade pineapple-rosemary-ginger soda.
Using ingredients like pineapple for natural sweetness, chopped ginger, agave nectar and soda water, you will end up with a great-tasting drink that weighs in at under 80 calories for an average serving.
Going off-label
Nothing wrong with using your soda machine as intended of course, but if you have a spirit of adventure and fancy going off-label, there are virtually no limits to what you can create.
The choices range from drinks such as herb-infused sparkling wine, a choice of alcoholic or non-alcoholic cocktails and even a twist on that favorite Spanish wine sangria.
Some maverick bartenders are finding ways to adjust the performance of their soda maker in order to get it to produce some fizzy cocktails which would not be available with normal operation.
Probably not a great idea to start cannibalizing your drinkmaker if you value the warranty, but it does give you an idea of the capabilities of the new era of soda machines, which are far more versatile anyway than their predecessors and far less bulky too.
New technology
Home carbonators are not exactly a new item in the kitchen but the modern versions bear little or no resemblance to the bulky machines that were not exactly environmentally-friendly either.
Discarded plastic bottles don’t need to be a concern anymore as one bottle can often last at least 12 months or more and there is always the valid point that if you are producing your own sparkling water at home, you are eliminating a fair amount of transport costs.
The other point to remember with a home drinkmaker option is that you get a chance to choose the ingredients that go in your drink.
Some big-brand ginger ales don’t actually contain any fresh ginger at all, so being able to make your own version at home with genuine fresh ginger, means you are going to enjoy a healthier drink and you get to choose how much sugar goes into it.
With the new generation of carbonated systems, you are almost only limited by your imagination.
Kian Sinclair is a freelance writer who churns out articles when he’s not working on his novel. He’s a foodie who also has a passion for tech and interior design.
I don’t always have pineapple, but do have fresh ginger and agave. Need to remember to make that.
I have heard of these but wasn’t aware you could make your own combinations,,,very interesting
Wow this is something I’d really like to consider. I stopped drinking diet soda a few years ago, then I had one diet coke a couple of months ago, and realized how much I miss carbonated drinks. This is one that is attractive and I’m into experimenting, so would want to try that off label fun!
So many awesome tips and I love that you can get creative and create alot of DIY self combination drinks. This is perfect for the pretty weather and hosting get togethers!
This is a very nice system. I would love to find this at the store to start using it right away.
Nice to know you can create your own flavors. I will need to try this.
I did not realize that the carbonation systems were so versatile. Personally, I no longer enjoy carbonated drinks, but the grandkids do! The healthier drinks carbonated at home seem a better option.
Oh wow, fresh ginger ale with actual ginger, I think that would be amazing. I am off to Google to see if I can find recipes.
I like the technology behind making this carbonizing system. I think it would do anyone’s kitchen some good.
I did not realize that you could do so much with a carbonation system. I stopped drinking soda the beginning of the year and admit I am tired of drinking just water. I am going to try and make some new drinks with my system which I have not used much.
I need to make my own healthier drinks with my Keurig and have some nice drinks this Spring and Summer. I never thought about making different healthier drinks with my machine!
I’ve tried one of these products. It works better with some flavors than others. Thanks for sharing!
I love this idea. I’m definitely going to make my own ginger ale now. Thanks for sharing this.