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- DictionarySoft drink/ˌsôft ˈdriNGk/
noun
- 1. a nonalcoholic drink, especially one that is carbonated.
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May 13, 2024 · A soft drink is a usually carbonated nonalcoholic beverage, especially soda pop. Learn more about the word history, synonyms, examples, and related entries of soft drink from Merriam-Webster dictionary.
- Overview
- History of soft drinks
- Production
- Water
- Carbon dioxide and carbonation
- Flavouring syrup
- Finishing
- Pasteurizing noncarbonated beverages
- Powdered soft drinks
- Iced soft drinks
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soft drink, any of a class of nonalcoholic beverages, usually but not necessarily carbonated, normally containing a natural or artificial sweetening agent, edible acids, natural or artificial flavours, and sometimes juice. Natural flavours are derived from fruits, nuts, berries, roots, herbs, and other plant sources. Coffee, tea, milk, cocoa, and undiluted fruit and vegetable juices are not considered soft drinks.
The term soft drink was originated to distinguish the flavoured drinks from hard liquor, or distilled spirits. Soft drinks were recommended as a substitute in the effort to change the hard-drinking habits of early Americans. Indeed, health concerns of modern consumers led to new categories of soft drinks emphasizing low calorie count, low sodium content, no caffeine, and “all natural” ingredients.
The first marketed soft drinks appeared in the 17th century as a mixture of water and lemon juice sweetened with honey. In 1676 the Compagnie de Limonadiers was formed in Paris and granted a monopoly for the sale of its products. Vendors carried tanks on their backs from which they dispensed cups of lemonade.
Carbonated beverages and waters were developed from European attempts in the 17th century to imitate the popular and naturally effervescent waters of famous springs, with primary interest in their reputed therapeutic values. The effervescent feature of the waters was recognized early as most important. Flemish scientist Jan Baptista van Helmont first used the term gas in his reference to the carbon dioxide content. French physician Gabriel Venel referred to aerated water, confusing the gas with ordinary air. British scientist Joseph Black named the gaseous constituent fixed air.
Robert Boyle, an Anglo-Irish philosopher and scientist who helped found modern chemistry, published his Short Memoirs for the Natural Experimental History of Mineral Waters in 1685. It included sections on examining mineral springs, on the properties of the water, on its effects upon the human body, and, lastly, “of the imitation of natural medicinal waters by chymical and other artificial wayes.”
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Numerous reports of experiments and investigations were included in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London in the late 1700s, including the studies of Stephen Hales, Joseph Black, David Macbride, William Brownrigg, Henry Cavendish, and Thomas Lane.
All ingredients used in soft drinks must be of high purity and food grade to obtain a quality beverage. These include the water, carbon dioxide, sugar, acids, juices, and flavours.
Although water is most often taken from a safe municipal supply, it usually is processed further to ensure uniformity of the finished product; the amount of impurities in the municipal supply may vary from time to time. In some bottling plants the water-treatment equipment may simply consist of a sand filter to remove minute solid matter and activa...
Carbon dioxide gas gives the beverage its sparkle and tangy taste and prevents spoilage. It is supplied to the soft drink manufacturer in either solid form (dry ice) or liquid form maintained under approximately 1,200 pounds per square inch (84 kilograms per square centimetre) pressure in heavy steel containers. Lightweight steel containers are used when the liquid carbon dioxide is held under refrigeration. In that case, the internal pressure is about 325 pounds per square inch.
Carbonation (of either the water or the finished beverage mixture) is effected by chilling the liquid and cascading it in thin layers over a series of plates in an enclosure containing carbon dioxide gas under pressure. The amount of gas the water will absorb increases as the pressure is increased and the temperature is decreased.
Flavouring syrup is normally a concentrated solution of a sweetener (sugar or artificial), an acidulant for tartness, flavouring, and a preservative when necessary. The flavouring syrup is made in two steps. First, a “simple syrup” is prepared by making a solution of water and sugar. This simple sugar solution can be treated with carbon and filtere...
There are two methods for producing a finished product from the flavouring syrup. In the first, the syrup is diluted with water and the product then cooled, carbonated, and bottled. In the second, the maker measures a precise amount of syrup into each bottle, then fills it with carbonated water. In either case, the sugar content (51–60 percent in the syrup) is reduced to 8–13 percent in the finished beverage. Thus, a 12-ounce soft drink may contain more than 40 grams of sugar.
The blending of syrups and mixing with plain or carbonated water, the container washing, and container filling are all done almost entirely by automatic machinery. Returnable bottles are washed in hot alkali solutions for a minimum of five minutes, then rinsed thoroughly. Single-service or “one-trip” containers are generally air-rinsed or rinsed with potable water before filling. Automatic fillers can service hundreds of containers per minute.
Noncarbonated beverages require ingredients and techniques similar to those for carbonated beverages. However, since they lack the protection against spoilage afforded by carbonation, these are usually pasteurized, either in bulk, by continuous flash pasteurization prior to filling, or in the bottle.
These are made by blending the flavouring material with dry acids, gums, artificial colour, etc. If the sweetener has been included, the consumer need only add the proper amount of plain or carbonated water.
The first iced soft drink consisted of a cup of ice covered with a flavoured syrup. Sophisticated dispensing machines now blend measured quantities of syrup with carbonated or plain water to make the finished beverage. To obtain the soft ice, or slush, the machine reduces the beverage temperature to between −5 and −2 °C (22 and 28 °F).
A soft drink is a nonalcoholic beverage, usually carbonated, with sweetener, acid, flavour, and sometimes juice. Learn about the origin, types, and health issues of soft drinks from Britannica's experts.
Soft drink. A glass of cola served with ice cubes. Soft drink vending machine in Japan. A soft drink (see § Terminology for other names) is any water-based flavored drink, usually but not necessarily carbonated, and typically including added sweetener. Flavors used can be natural or artificial.
A soft drink is a cold, usually sweet, drink that does not contain alcohol. Learn more about the meaning, pronunciation, synonyms and usage of soft drink with Cambridge Dictionary.
Soft drink definition: a beverage that is not alcoholic or intoxicating and is usually carbonated, as root beer or ginger ale.. See examples of SOFT DRINK used in a sentence.
A soft drink is a cold, usually sweet, drink that does not contain alcohol. Learn more about the meaning, pronunciation, and usage of soft drink with examples from literature and sources on the web.
Below is the article summary. For the full article, see soft drink . soft drink, Nonalcoholic beverage, usually carbonated, consisting of water (soda water), flavouring, and a sweet syrup or artificial sweetener. Attempts to reproduce the natural effervescence of certain spring waters for presumed health benefits began before 1700.
