⚠️ Important: Most Soda Makers Can Only Do Water
SodaStream, Aarke, and most machines are designed for water only. Carbonating other beverages can cause overflow, damage the machine, and void warranties. For cocktails and other drinks, you need a machine specifically designed for it.
Want to make sparkling cocktails, fizzy wine, or carbonated juice at home? There's really only one consumer-grade machine that does it safely: the DrinkMate.
Best for Cocktails: DrinkMate OmniFizz
DrinkMate OmniFizz
What You Can Carbonate:
- ✓ Wine (make your own prosecco-style sparkling wine)
- ✓ Cocktail bases (sparkling margaritas, fizzy mojitos)
- ✓ Fruit juice (homemade sparkling OJ, apple cider)
- ✓ Flat soda (revive day-old soda)
- ✓ Energy drinks, tea, coffee — anything liquid
How DrinkMate Handles Non-Water Beverages
Regular soda makers like SodaStream inject CO2 directly into the bottle while it's attached. With water, this is fine. With sugary or acidic beverages, it causes violent fizzing — overflow, mess, potential machine damage.
DrinkMate solves this with a Fizz Infuser system:
- Carbonate — CO2 is injected with the bottle attached (same as other machines)
- Detach while sealed — bottle disconnects from machine while still under pressure
- Slow release — you manually release pressure via a valve, slowly, preventing overflow
- Open — once pressure equalizes, open and enjoy
This controlled release is the key innovation. You can let the fizz settle before opening, preventing the geyser effect.
DrinkMate Pros & Cons
✓ Pros
- Carbonates anything — the only consumer machine that does
- Good for cocktail parties — sparkling drinks on demand
- Uses standard CO2 — 60L screw-in cylinders
- No power needed — fully manual operation
- Still works with water — not limited to other beverages
✗ Cons
- More steps — slower than SodaStream for plain water
- Less widely available — CO2 refills harder to find than SodaStream
- Cleaning required — sugary drinks leave residue
- Uses more CO2 — sugary beverages absorb less efficiently
Cocktail Ideas with DrinkMate
Sparkling Wine from Still Wine
Turn any still wine into a sparkling version. Works best with dry whites and rosés. Chill wine thoroughly, carbonate, slow-release. Instant budget prosecco.
Fizzy Margaritas
Make your standard margarita mix, carbonate, serve over ice. The bubbles add a completely different dimension.
Sparkling Mojitos
Muddle mint and lime, add rum and simple syrup, carbonate with the DrinkMate. Skip the club soda — the whole drink is carbonated.
Italian Sodas
Flavored syrup + water, carbonated. Cheaper and customizable compared to buying Italian sodas.
Revived Flat Soda
Day-old Coke gone flat? Re-carbonate it. Works surprisingly well.
💡 Pro Tips
- Cold = better fizz — refrigerate beverages before carbonating
- Less sugar = more fizz — sugary drinks hold carbonation less well
- Clean after use — sugary residue can clog the Fizz Infuser
- Don't overfill — leave headroom for expansion
Why You Can't Use SodaStream for Cocktails
SodaStream explicitly warns against carbonating anything but water, and for good reason:
- No controlled release — removing the bottle immediately releases all pressure
- Sugar + CO2 = explosion — sugary liquids foam violently when carbonated
- Warranty voided — damage from non-water carbonation isn't covered
- Machine damage — sticky liquids can clog valves and damage seals
Can you hack a SodaStream to carbonate other drinks? Some people try, but it's messy, risky, and voids your warranty. The DrinkMate exists specifically to solve this problem — just use the right tool.
Alternative: iSi Soda Siphon
iSi Classic Soda Siphon
Professional-grade soda siphon that works with any beverage. Used by bartenders. More expensive per use (CO2 chargers vs refillable cylinder) but compact and portable.
- Uses 8g CO2 chargers (~$0.50 each)
- Makes 1 liter per charge
- Good for occasional use, not daily
- Elegant presentation
DrinkMate vs SodaStream for Cocktails
| Factor | DrinkMate | SodaStream |
|---|---|---|
| Carbonate water | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Carbonate juice | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Carbonate wine | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Carbonate cocktails | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Speed (water) | Slower (release valve step) | Faster |
| Price | $110 | $89 |
| CO2 availability | Moderate | Wide |
Our Recommendation
Get the DrinkMate if:
- You want to make sparkling cocktails at home
- You host parties and want to impress
- You drink sparkling wine but want cheaper options
- You want maximum flexibility
Stick with SodaStream if:
- You only want sparkling water
- You want the simplest, fastest operation
- Easy CO2 refills matter (SodaStream has wider distribution)
See also: DrinkMate OmniFizz Review · Best Soda Makers 2026