flavoring ideas

[fred588]

Although I sometimes carbonate water with flavoring and sweetener I usually just carbonate water. Sometimes I drink that without anything added and sometimes I will mix the water with other things.

I am curious if anyone else does this. If so, I am interested to know about unusual flavorings. Alternatively, I'm interested to know if anyone has tried such things as 1) tomato juice, 2) Worcestershire sauce, 3) the brine from green olives, or 4) Angostura bitters and sweetener. I find all four quite good but maybe I'm alone in that. Number 4 reminds me strongly of Moxie, which I cannot get where I live.

 

[bleme]

I've always be a "don't knock it till you try it" guy. My wife says she can always tell what I am going to order by looking for the weirdest thing on the menu. But I think you are so far past off-the-wall...

I also keep a keg of carbonated water, but I add things like lemon wedges...

 

[fred588]

I regret your closing remark. I really hoped to get some suggestions but now that you have poisoned the well fewer people, if any, are likely to reply with any.

 

[bleme]

Ha! You must be new here! While most of us are pretty cordial about it, nothing kicks up a discussion faster than disagreement.

 

[benco]

Sounds like a good red beer to me.

 

[bleme]

I also like fresh grated ginger, a splash of vanilla, a cinnamon stick, or a slice of lime/orange/grapefruit. Vodka is good too.

 

[ericbw]

I usually carbonate the water, then add what I want when I drink it. I often add Angostura bitters and lime juice (bottled or a wedge of lime). I try to avoid drinking soda these days, so no sweetener. You could also change it up and use Peychaud's bitters. And there are a lot of new bitters out now with different flavors.

I like all the savory flavors you mentioned, but I don't know if I would like a tomato seltzer.

Also, don't take offense to being labeled off-the-wall.

 

[NSMikeD]

Although I sometimes carbonate water with flavoring and sweetener I usually just carbonate water. Sometimes I drink that without anything added and sometimes I will mix the water with other things.

I am curious if anyone else does this. If so, I am interested to know about unusual flavorings. Alternatively, I'm interested to know if anyone has tried such things as 1) tomato juice, 2) Worcestershire sauce, 3) the brine from green olives, or 4) Angostura bitters and sweetener. I find all four quite good but maybe I'm alone in that. Number 4 reminds me strongly of Moxie, which I cannot get where I live.

HAH! I have a large jar of Worcestershire powder (for BBQing my briskest) that when I open my cupboard I ask myself "how am I ever going to use all that stuff" and low and behold, the other say I was staring at it pondering a tamarind ale.

 

[fred588]

I also like fresh grated ginger, a splash of vanilla, a cinnamon stick, or a slice of lime/orange/grapefruit. Vodka is good too.

The fruit slices sound like a good idea. Do you get enough flavor intensity with the ginger or cinnamon? I have tried vanilla extra (about a half teaspoon in a 10 ounce glass, plus some sweetener, and find that quite good.

 

[fred588]

I usually carbonate the water, then add what I want when I drink it. I often add Angostura bitters and lime juice (bottled or a wedge of lime). I try to avoid drinking soda these days, so no sweetener. You could also change it up and use Peychaud's bitters. And there are a lot of new bitters out now with different flavors.

I like all the savory flavors you mentioned, but I don't know if I would like a tomato seltzer.

Also, don't take offense to being labeled off-the-wall.

I was not offended. I just thought the comment would discourage others from replying. I was apparently wrong in that. I have never heard of Peychaud's but will look for it. For the tomato my recipe is about 50 percent tomato juice from a can and 50 percent carbonated water. With the Worcestershire its about 1 tablespoon in a 10 ounce glass. I find it very similar to bloody Mary mix except it has bubbles.

 

[JPennington]

I adapted a recipe I found presented as "Harry Potter's Butterbeer," which used invert sugar, butter flavoring, rum extract, vanilla extract, and caramel malt. It made an amazing butterscotch soda. At the time I just mixed it by the glass with seltzer from my Soadastream, but I will eventually revisit it to see if I can get it to bottle condition properly.

And, while I'm fond of tomato juice and I don't mind a good spicy Bloody Mary Mix every now and again, I'm not sure I could go for a carbonated Bloody Mary... I might have to try it once, just to see.

 

[fred588]

I adapted a recipe I found presented as "Harry Potter's Butterbeer," which used invert sugar, butter flavoring, rum extract, vanilla extract, and caramel malt. It made an amazing butterscotch soda. At the time I just mixed it by the glass with seltzer from my Soadastream, but I will eventually revisit it to see if I can get it to bottle condition properly.

And, while I'm fond of tomato juice and I don't mind a good spicy Bloody Mary Mix every now and again, I'm not sure I could go for a carbonated Bloody Mary... I might have to try it once, just to see.

Its the Worcestershire that gives it the spiciness. I have not yet tried both tomato juice and Worcestershire together but probably will.

 

[bleme]

The fruit slices sound like a good idea. Do you get enough flavor intensity with the ginger or cinnamon? I have tried vanilla extra (about a half teaspoon in a 10 ounce glass, plus some sweetener, and find that quite good.

Cinnamon is pretty mild. I use the same stick over and over.

Ginger is intense. I use enough to feel the heat in the back of my throat.

I also put a dash of cinnamon on top of my coffee grounds in the Mr Coffee. It's a slight cinnamon taste but the main benefit is it clogs the filter slightly so the water spends more time with the grounds.

 

[fred588]

Cinnamon is pretty mild. I use the same stick over and over.

Ginger is intense. I use enough to feel the heat in the back of my throat.

I also put a dash of cinnamon on top of my coffee grounds in the Mr Coffee. It's a slight cinnamon taste but the main benefit is it clogs the filter slightly so the water spends more time with the grounds.

Interesting. I have used cinnamon extract but not a stick.