Many people who drink carbonated beverages such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi products are very familiar with the taste of each drink. Without looking at a label, many people can give the flavouring of a drink, its brand-name and whether it is 'light' or 'caffine-free'. The truly dedicated have detected even smaller differences in flavour, dependent on the material of the drink's container, or what part of the world it was mixed in. The researchers at H2G2 present their experiences with gradations of flavour, and offer an explaination for the mysterious 'soda spectrum'.

Matter

The way a beverage is packaged can have a great impact on its flavour. Here is a breakdown of the most popular storage mediums.

• Aluminium

  Drinks straight from the can tend to pick up some of the flavour of the can.

• Plastic

  Plastic bottles come in many shapes and sizes. This may currently be the most popular way of distributing soft drinks.

• Glass

  Purists swear by the glass bottle as the only way to experience the true flavour of a soft drink. Although bottling in glass is less common due to its expensive and fragile nature, some producers (such as Henry Weinhard's located in Oregon, USA) continue to use nothing but glass.

  Glass can also refer to fountain drinks served in a glass, rather than in a paper cup.

• Paper: Waxed

  Found in fast-food restaurants worldwide, or at mass feedings of students. Cheap and disposable, but at what cost to the flavour (not to mention the environment)?

• Paper: Unwaxed

  This medium is normally used for hot drinks, but it works just as well for cold when waxed cups are unavaliable. Unless you don't like the taste of paper.

• On Tap

  Drinks that are served over-the-counter or mixed on the spot by a professional often taste different than those purchased in a grocery.

• Self-serve

  The automatic soda and ice dispensers found in fast-food restaurants and cafeterias. It's just not the same as having someone mix one behind the bar.

  An interesting thing I once heard about fountain drinks is that, apparently, they're designed to be drank 2 parts drink to every 1 part ice. To clarify that, if you drink a fountain drink with no ice in it, it'll be one and a half times as concentrated as it would be with ice. I find this very interesting, especially because I don't particularly like ice in my drinks. - Mornessar

• Home-brew

  Got syrup? With some soda water, you can mix your drink to taste, or even create something new. Best recipies?

Time

All good things must come to an end, and so must soft drinks. After they are opened, their carbonation level tends to decrease until they are little more than flavoured sugar-water. We ask the question: What is the best 'fizz' level for a drink?

• First Opened
• One or Two Days
• The Halfway Point
• Almost Gone
• Flat
• Elixir of Life

  Extending the life of your favourite soda pop.

• Carbonation, Stat!

  Can a soft drink come back from the dead? Strategies from the researchers.

Space

It seems that a Dr Pepper tastes different in Oregon than it does in Iowa. Diet Coke has a different flavour in the USA than it does in Mexico. Does cream soda have more vanilla in the UK than it does in India? Unveiling the mysteries of the 'geocentric drink'.

• Different Flavours in Different Countries?
• Distance to the Nearst Bottling Facility
• Elevation?

Energy

The temperature of a drink may affect its flavour, the rate of decarbonization, and the manner in which the beverage is imbibed. What temperature should a carbonated beverage be stored at? How should it be served?

• Frozen
• 0° Celsius

  The freezing temperature of a Pepsi cola is -2° Celsius. Keeping a soft drink at this temperature slows the rate at which carbon dioxide gas can escape the liquid, increasing the life of the drink.

• Room Temperature
• Steaming