It matters if you’re mixing cocktails. Bartenders have strong opinions about this, and they will judge you silently. For a vodka soda, seltzer is fine. It lets the vodka scream. But for a gin and tonic, never use club soda. Tonic water is its own beast—it has quinine, sugar, and a bitter taste. Club soda would make the whole drink taste like a sweaty sock. A salty sweaty sock.
Differences between Club Soda and Seltzer Water - diff.wiki
And don’t even get me started on tonic water. It’s not even in this family. Tonic has sugar, quinine (a malaria-fighting compound from tree bark), and enough calories to fuel a small horse. Quinine glows under UV light, by the way. So if you’re at a rave and your gin and tonic is neon blue, that’s normal. Or you’ve been drugged. Either way, hydrate.
The Great Identity Crisis
Here’s where it gets chaotic. Many brands blur the lines. Perrier is naturally carbonated mineral water. San Pellegrino is also natural, but with more minerals. Those aren’t club soda or seltzer. They’re the fancy European aristocrats who refuse to acknowledge commoners. And then there’s LaCroix—which is seltzer with natural flavors. But people call it “sparkling water,” and the internet fights about whether it’s healthy. Spoiler: it’s fine. Drink it.
To add chaos, some regions call all bubbly water “soda water.” Order a “soda” in the American South, and you might get a Coke. Order a “soda water” in London, and a bartender will hand you club soda, then sneer. The whole system is designed to confuse you. I believe it’s a conspiracy by Big Sparkle to sell more cans.
Difference Between Club Soda And Seltzer Water at Michael Carandini blog
