300118 Tue Apr 12 17:33:08 -0700 2005 2 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1666190 What is the difference between club soda and seltzer? Or are they interchangeable? Tue Apr 12 17:33:08 -0700 2005 0 chocoholic 1 1666192 Historically, club soda may have modest amounts of sodium compounds like sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, sodium phosphate and sodium citrate(hence "soda"), unlike seltzer. Tue Apr 12 17:41:27 -0700 2005 1666190 0 Karl S. 1 1666203 Seltzer is filtered, carbonated water. Club soda has small amounts of minerals added to it. Generally, they are interchangeable. In fact, bars that use soda guns are using seltzer water. If you want honest-to-goodness club soda, you'll typically get it from a bottle, but *might* be able to swing a home version by adding a wee pinch each of salt and baking soda to your seltzer. Schweppes is an excellent brand to go with, and since more than a few people think Schweppes is the only permissible tonic water for their Gin & Tonics (goodness knows I'm one of them), you'll have the aesthetic benefit of matching labels on your shelf. I think the only drink that would expect you to use seltzer over club soda is a classic egg cream, but if you're going to go all-out on a club soda, it's likely you not only have your own seltzer bottle already, but the U-Bet syrup too. Tue Apr 12 20:19:01 -0700 2005 1666190 0 JK Grence (the Cosmic Jester)