Your Illustrated Guide to Different Types of Carbonated Water

Unless you're a bartender or a hardcore drink aficionado, understanding the different types of carbonated water and their best uses can get confusing. This is especially true since most people use the terms "club soda," "sparkling water," and "seltzer water" interchangeably when ordering drinks.

Mineral water is drawn and bottled directly from an underground natural source, which makes it more pricey compared to the other carbonated waters, which tend to be artificially added.

Club soda and seltzer are essentially the same thing, the only difference being that club soda has a few additional ingredients that gives it a slightly saltier, more mineral-y flavor. Both club soda and seltzer are also surprisingly practical for a number of household uses.

Tonic water is a sweetened soft drink containing quinine, and is best paired with gin. As a bonus, you can also use tonic water to make ice cubes, mixed drinks, and other party goodies that glow under black light.

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