There are , and more are appearing every day — plain or flavored, cheap or pricey, in tiny cans or big bottles, some caffeinated and some even alcoholic. They all seem to be called different things, too. Take seltzer and sparkling water, for example.
Both are water, both have bubbles. Are they two terms for the same thing? Or are they totally different products? Turns out, the answer to that question is somewhat complicated. Water feels like one of those things that shouldn't be hard to figure out, but when bubbles are thrown into the mix, suddenly you need a research assistant to understand all the different types.
This guide takes a deep dive into seltzer and sparkling water to explore what similarities and differences there might be, and what sets them apart from other types of bubbly waters. It may not turn you into a fizzy water expert or a , but it will help demystify a few of the most common styles of bubbly water, so you know what you're getting in bars and restaurants, and at the grocery store. What is seltzer? The word "seltzer" has a very interesting history.
A town in Germany called Selters was known for its natural spring water, which was called Selterser Wasser, which roughly means "water from Selters." Selterser Wasser was naturally bubbly and chock full of minerals. The term eventually morphed into "seltzer" and was used to describe all different types of bubbly water, not just that town's specific sparkling mineral water.
Today, it's most often used to refe.
