Sparkling Water Compared

Perrier is a French natural mineral sparkling water that has been the default premium choice in India for decades. It is imported from Vergeze, France, and contains naturally occurring minerals.

SOMA delivers comparable premium quality at roughly half the price. A 330ml SOMA costs Rs.99 versus Rs.180-250 for Perrier. SOMA uses purified water with zero added minerals and zero sodium, making it a cleaner base for cocktails and a purer drinking experience.

Perrier has bold, large bubbles. SOMA has fine, consistent micro-bubbles that are gentler on the palate. Both come in glass bottles. The key difference: SOMA is made in India with no import markup.

San Pellegrino is an Italian mineral water known for fine dining tables worldwide. It contains 33mg of sodium per serving from its natural mineral source, plus other dissolved minerals.

SOMA is the cleaner alternative: zero sodium, zero minerals, zero additives. For those watching sodium intake or wanting a neutral mixer, SOMA is the better choice. Price-wise, SOMA costs Rs.99 versus Rs.200-280 for San Pellegrino in India.

San Pellegrino has a delicate, lightly mineral taste. SOMA tastes like pure water with smooth carbonation. Both are suitable for fine dining; SOMA just does it without the import price tag.

Tonic water is not sparkling water. This is a common misconception. Tonic water contains significant amounts of sugar (18-22 grams per serving), quinine (a bitter compound originally used to treat malaria), citric acid, and often artificial flavors. It has 70-90 calories per serving.

SOMA has zero sugar, zero calories, zero quinine, and zero flavors. If you are using tonic water as a general mixer or daily drink, switching to SOMA eliminates a significant amount of hidden sugar from your diet.

The one exception: a classic gin and tonic specifically requires tonic water for its signature bitter-sweet profile. For everything else, SOMA is the healthier choice.

Soda water (also called club soda in some markets) is carbonated water with added sodium bicarbonate and often sodium citrate or potassium sulfate. This gives it a slightly salty, mineral taste and adds 20-75mg of sodium per serving.

SOMA contains no added sodium, no bicarbonate, and no mineral salts. It is pure carbonated water. The carbonation is also noticeably different: soda water tends to have coarse, aggressive bubbles, while SOMA has fine, controlled micro-bubbles that are smoother on the palate.

Soda water is significantly cheaper (Rs.20-40), but the quality difference is noticeable. SOMA is what you upgrade to when you want your sparkling water to actually taste good.