Here’s the truth most bartenders learn on day one: club soda and sparkling water are not the same thing, and the choice between them can make or break your cocktail. Club soda contains added minerals and salts that give it a slightly salty, bitter taste, while sparkling water is simply carbonated water with naturally occurring or no added minerals, offering a cleaner, more neutral flavor profile.
I discovered this the hard way when I swapped club soda for sparkling water in a whiskey highball during my first month behind the bar. The drink fell completely flat, lacking the subtle mineral backbone that makes a proper highball …









