The Argentinian obsession with Sifón de Soda (water)

An hour and half debate on which syphon de soda water brand is the best, you’ve got to be kidding me. It’s true my brother-in-law Santi tells me, it happened at a BBQ he went to. People take their agua con gas seriously here. Some are brand loyal others aren’t, some get it delivered weekly by the crate, others prefer to purchase it as needed from the supermarket. Some will only buy it in glass bottles (and pay a premium for it), some buy it in refillable plastic bottles that look like they have been used for decades, others buy it in more modern PET bottles. Then there is the question of which produces the best size gas bubble, or in fact which size gas bubble you prefer apparently this not only affects taste and can also have disastrous effects on your favourite aperitif (e.g. campari, vermouth, fernet) when used as a mixer.

What is syphon water you ask? Just think of it as a 1.5-2 litre water bottle with sodastream machine already inside it – there is a trigger on the top to activate the carbonation and eject the water at the same time. When I first saw this nearly 10 years ago when I first visited Buenos Aires I found it pretty weird, now like a lot of things over here it’s normal to me.

I’ve recently found out that people buy their own syphon kits to and make their own soda water, which is not surprising considering Sodastream machines are mainstream now in a lot of countries. These are based on setups made by grandparents & great grandparents I’m told. I’m picturing some pretty dodgy setups here in backyard sheds.

Take caution though, there is an art to using a syphon bottle. Many beginners have ended up spraying soda all over themselves and others at the dinner table. It’s not a beer tap, you never fully depress the lever of a full bottle, squeeze it gently. As the bottle starts to empty, you can press the lever harder. You also need to be wary of the glass you are using, short and narrow glasses or ones with curved bottoms and sides (e.g. wine glasses) are the mortal enemy of a syphon be it full, half full or nearly empty. Also the angle of the glass is important, and it’s probably best not to angle the bottle (this is for advanced users only). Beware, be warned. If in doubt, maybe just ask the closest Argentinian to serve you – sírveme la soda por favor.