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A quest for information about carbonation, the process that puts the fizz into soda pop, was more difficult than we had anticipated. We tested and rejected various straightforward searches we'd hoped would refresh and enlighten us. It wasn't until our search for a "carbonation FAQ" led us to the soda section in the Chemistry of everyday life FAQ, that we started feeling bubbly again. From a Coca-Cola question, we followed a link to the history pages on The Soda Fountain. We read about naturally occuring mineral springs and foul-smelling spritzy water served up at fancy European
health spas for the last several hundred years. In the First Glass section of the site, we leared that Dr. Joseph Priestley, of Leeds, England, made the first publically acclaimed glass of drinkable carbonated water in 1767 by pouring water back and forth over a brewery vat where the liquid could absorb carbon dioxide from the rising fumes. This earned him the nickname "father of the soft drinks industry." Britannica.com's entry on soft drinks confirms that carbon dioxide (CO2) is the key to carbonation. These days it is added by the beverage manufacturer as either a solid (dry ice) or
high-pressure liquid form. Want to do it yourself? There's an easy-to-operate home carbonation product from Europe called the Soda Stream Gemini machine, it's small and light enough to sit on your desk and put a little spritz in your life.
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