Sparkling Water Around the World

One Drink. Many Worlds.

Sparkling water is one of the few things that appears on almost every table in almost every country. But how it appears — when it's drunk, what it's served with, what it means — varies enormously. Travel through a few of those cultures and you start to see something interesting: the same product, experienced completely differently.

Germany: The Default Choice

In Germany, sparkling water isn't a preference — it's the assumption. Order "Wasser" at a restaurant without specifying and you'll likely receive a bottle of Sprudel. Highly carbonated, served cold, no ice. Germans drink more sparkling water per capita than almost any other nation, and they've been doing so for generations. It goes with everything: schnitzel, salad, a Sunday roast, a weekday lunch at a desk.

At home, the SodaStream fits naturally into this culture. Making your own sparkling water isn't a novelty — it's simply the most efficient way to have what you'd be drinking anyway.

Italy: Sparkling as Ritual

In Italy, the choice between still and sparkling water — naturale or frizzante — is taken seriously. Sparkling water cleanses the palate between dishes, cuts through olive oil and rich sauces, and signals that a meal is being taken at the right pace. It arrives in a glass bottle, poured carefully, never rushed.

The Italian relationship with sparkling water is about attention. The way something is served matters as much as what is served.

Israel: The Home Machine

SodaStream was founded in Israel and the country has one of the highest rates of home carbonation machine ownership in the world. Sparkling water is made at home, drunk throughout the day, and considered an entirely normal part of life. Children grow up pressing the button. The machine is as standard as the kettle.

In Israel, the question isn't whether to make sparkling water at home. It's which flavor to add.

The UK: A Growing Love

The British relationship with sparkling water has transformed over the past two decades. Once considered a somewhat continental preference, it has become mainstream — ordered confidently in restaurants, bought regularly in supermarkets, and increasingly made at home. The SodaStream revival in the UK tracks almost perfectly with this cultural shift.

The US: Discovery Mode

American sparkling water culture is in an exciting moment. The category is growing fast, driven by health-conscious consumers moving away from sugary sodas. Sparkling water has become the sophisticated, satisfying alternative — and home carbonation is part of that story.

What It All Means

Across every market, the underlying truth is the same: people enjoy sparkling water because it makes drinking water feel like something. The fizz adds pleasure without adding anything else. And wherever you are in the world, that turns out to matter.