Soda Drinks: Flavors

Except for seltzer water, all soda drinks contain added flavoring. Artificial mineral waters were manufactured with blends of salts and other chemicals to duplicate the flavors of natural waters. The earliest sweet flavors were mixtures of sugar syrup and fresh fruit juices (lemon, raspberry, and strawberry) or plant extracts, such as sarsaparilla and spruce beer. By the 1880s, syrup manufacturers had concocted hundreds of often unusual flavors, including allspice, cayenne pepper, champagne, maple, pistachio, and white rose. These were mixed into the glass at the fountain and had to be made almost daily because they tended to ferment quickly. For bottling purposes, the first flavors with shelf life were lemon and ginger ale, joined later by sarsaparilla, root beer, and cream soda.