Holiday Guide 2014

I don't know about where you are, but here, it's snowing.  Again.  It probably won't let up for another six months, so the only thing left to do is embrace it.  Luckily, with it comes the Holidays.  And even though Holiday shopping can be a stress, trust me, there are worse things you could be doing in the snow.  There's no reason to fret for the soda maker on your list. I've got you covered.

For The Nostalgic
You know the type, always wishing it was the 1950's again.  He's always wishing he could pop a nickle in the vending machine and get an ice cold glass bottle of CocaCola, wondering what happened to the fountain in the corner drugstore.

-Vintage Diner Stools

 

Nothing says nostalgia like a an old style soda shop or 1950's diner.  If you're making soda in your home and especially if you have a home bar space, serve your soda to your guests in style with this Retro 3-Piece Chrome Bar Stools and Table Set.

 -Vintage Bottle Cappers

Why buy a new plastic bottle capper when you can buy something that has stood the test of time.  I bought a brand new bench capper and while I'm pretty happy with it, I shortly thereafter realized that there are some nice sturdy vintage cappers to be found and put to good use.  Ebay always has a  

Selection of Vintage Bottle Cappers at various prices.

-Soda Pop! Book

 

For the book shelf.  As a sodamaker, it always helps to know your roots.  Soda Pop!: From Miracle Medicine to Pop Culture is an interesting read that looks at the history of soda pop in general as well as the history of a few specific flavors and brands.  

For The Copycat
So what do you pickup for someone that's like a chameleon?  Someone who is always copying what other people do.  Mimicking the classics down to the last detail.  Give her something to copy.

-Root Beer of the Month Club

One thing that a copycat needs is something to work from.  Some inspiration can be found in the selection of many root beers available.  Signing up for a Root Beer of the Month Club is one way to bring fresh inspiration on a regular basis. The Root Beer Store based in Washington State has a monthly subscription that can be cancelled anytime.  Beverages Direct offers a 3 month subscription for either root beer or gourmet soda, and they also offer various sampler packs.

-Copycat Recipe Books

 

My own Making Soda at Home has some copycat recipes for Mt. Dew, Dr Pepper, Cola and a few others.  Another book that's been around a while that has a handful of soda recipes among other drink recipes is Top Secret Recipes--Sodas, Smoothies, Spirits, and Shakes.

For The Fermenter
For someone who doesn't mind blurring the lines between soda making and homebrewing, there are a number of options.  Usually the homebrew store has a plethora of options, though some homebrew stores don't cater much to soda makers, and some places simply don't have homebrew stores.  Here are some sure bets.

-Ginger Beer Kit

There are a few different fermentation soda kits out there.  This year Williams-Sonoma has jumped on the band wagon with kits for Ginger Beer, Root Beer, and Hibiscus Lime.

-PET Bottles and Caps

Mr. Beer has been around for a number of years and they have various beer kits and at least one root beer kit.  For fermenting soda, all you need is the bottles.  If you don't want to reuse commercial soda bottles, Mr. Beer offers different sets of new PET bottles including some  740 mL PET Bottles and additional sets of Plastic Caps for fermenting safely.


For The Health Nut
The health nut jumped into home soda making for obvious reasons.  You control what you put into it.  You can sweeten with natural sweeteners, or you can put in no sweeteners.

-Stevia Sweetener

Stevia extract is a great way to sweeten without sugar, and it's considered all natural.  This Stevia Liquid Extract is easier to work with than the powders, using only a few drops per cup.  If using for larger amounts of soda, the powders work fine as long as you measure them precisely.

-Water Filter

While there's usually nothing wrong with your usual tap water.  It does typically have residual chlorine.  I don't often notice it in plain tap water, but I can taste it in carbonated water for some reason.  Though it's more of a flavor choice than a health choice, an activated carbon filter is sure to get rid of any off flavors that might be in your tap water.  A filtering pitcher is fine, but a Whole House Water Filtration System is surprisingly inexpensive, especially considering the capacity of how much it can filter.