I talk a lot about sodas, because I used to be a soda fanatic. I guess I still am, but with a difference.

Soda (or "pop") is everywhere. Any time you enter or exit or wander about a commercial building — or store of almost any type — you will probably encounter vending machines that, for the proper coinage, will dispense a can or bottle of soda. These products are most often sweetened with sugar, and if not, they are usually sweetened with aspartame.

Since I avoid both sugar and aspartame, there is nothing much to interest me nowadays in these machines. On the bright side, many of the machines now offer bottled water, so I can usually get my refreshment when I am out and about. So I don’t have to feel like an outcast… or an out-and-about-cast!

But the subject is sodas. If you peruse the soda section of most supermarkets, you will find dozens of brands and flavors, mostly sugar-sweetened. There are "diet" versions of many of these, but the vast majority contain aspartame. One or two forward-thinking companies have switched to sucralose, which, while not perfect, is in my opinion an improvement.

I appreciate what they are doing, and if you:

1. refuse to buy sugar-free sodas with aspartame and
2. buy sodas sweetened with sucralose and other sugar-free sweeteners such as xylitol and erythritol

… then companies will make fewer of the former, and more of the latter. That’s how the market works.

When you are at home, the situation is much easier. I try to always keep on hand some bottles or cans of carbonated water (also known as sparkling water, or seltzer). This is completely unflavored — not the same thing as club soda — although that may be OK in a pinch.

I keep various flavorings handy, such as flavor extracts, fruit concentrates, powdered unsweetened drink mixes such as Kool-Aid, and a supply of sugar-free syrups. With these, I can turn a glassful of bubbly water into almost any kind of soda, including many fantastic flavors that are not available ready-made. I am the master of my fizzy domain.

Cherry-Vanilla Soda

1 can sparkling water, well-chilled
1 Tbs Da Vinci sugar-free vanilla syrup
1 Tbs cherry concentrate (or sugar-free cherry jam)
1 tsp sugar-free sweetener (optional)
Ice cubes (optional)

Put syrup and concentrate into a tall glass.
Pour sparkling water gradually into glass,
stirring gently and constantly with a spoon.
Add sweetener, if you want it sweeter.
Add ice.
Serve immediately.

Creamsicle Soda

1 can sparkling water, well-chilled
1 Tbs Da Vinci sugar-free vanilla syrup
2 Tbs frozen orange juice concentrate (sugar-free)
1 tsp sugar-free sweetener (optional)
Ice cubes (optional)

Put syrup and concentrate into a tall glass.
Pour sparkling water gradually into glass,
stirring gently and constantly with a spoon.
Add sweetener, if you want it sweeter.
Add ice.
Serve immediately.

Fruit Punch Soda

1 can sparkling water, well-chilled
1 Tbs Da Vinci sugar-free raspberry syrup
1 tsp Rio fruit punch flavoring, OR Fruit Punch flavored Kool-Aid (unsweetened)
1 Tbs sugar-free sweetener (or to taste)
Ice cubes (optional)

Put syrup and flavoring into a tall glass.
Pour sparkling water gradually into glass,
stirring gently and constantly with a spoon.
Add sweetener to taste.
Add ice.
Serve immediately.

VARIATIONS:
Use any fruit-flavored sugar-free syrup,and any flavor of Kool-Aid or similar product.