There are several terms used in America that would not raise an eyebrow if used in a similar context in England.
However, some other words mean different things in the two countries.
Words like pants, rubber, football, purse, solicitor, and chips would call for different reactions when used in a similar context in the two countries.
If you walked into a bar in England and ordered a soda, I bet you will be served soda water or something else with the word ‘soda’ on it (if you’re unlucky, they have caustic soda in the back).
Soft drinks have different names in separate countries, and in some cases, different regions in a country may refer to soft drinks in various ways.
People who recently moved to other states or countries find it hard to accept that what they have known as ‘soda’ or ‘coke’ all their lives should be referred to as something else.
Soft drinks can be called many names, including soda, pop, coke, fizzy drinks, cola, fizzy pop, and carbonated beverages. They are also called using their specific brand names such as Coca-cola, Pepsi, 7UP, Dr Pepper, Sprite, etc.
To refer to their products in national advertisements, popular soda brands use the term ‘soft drink’ as a universal term for flavored carbonated drinks.
However, in some cases, these manufacturers refer to soft drinks as they are commonly called in the countries.
What do the British call Soda?
In the UK, most people refer to their soft drinks as ‘pop,’ ‘fizzy drink,’ ‘fizzy pop,’ or simply by the brand name.
Even though a handful of Britons call it soda, the term ‘soda’ commonly refers to carbonated water or fizzy water in the UK.
Also, in some parts of the UK and Ireland, sodas are called fizzy drinks. ‘Pop’ and ‘fizzy pop’ are familiar in Northern England, South Wales, and the Midlands, while ‘mineral’ or ‘lemonade’ (as a general term) are used in Ireland.
In Scotland, a soft drink is commonly referred to as ‘fizzy juice’ or even simply ‘juice.’
Does the UK have Sodas?
Statistics show that In 2021, approximately 13.94 billion liters of soft drinks (including still and juice drinks, carbonated drinks, energy drinks, and others) were consumed in the UK.
The current market value of carbonated soft drinks in the UK is 8.1 billion GBP. So, the answer is yes; they have sodas in the UK.
According to Statistica, the biggest soft drink brands in the UK in 2021 were Coca-cola, Pepsi, Red Bull, Lucozade, Monster, Robinsons, Innocent, Fanta, Tropicana, and Schweppes. While Coca-cola lead the pack with 1.4 billion GBP of convenience sales value in that year.
Below is a list of the best sodas manufactured in the UK according to Mob:
- Cloudwater Brew Co. – Mango Citra Soda
- Something & Nothing – Cucumber Seltzer
- Karma Cola – Karma Cola
- Square Root Soda – Lemonade
- Dalston’s Soda Co. – Dalston’s Cherryade
- Soda Folk – Grape Soda
- Gunna Drinks – Muscovite
- London Essence Co. – Elderberry & Hibiscus Crafted Soda
- Ugly Drinks – Tropical
- Dash Water – Peach
- Punchy Drinks – Golden Hour
- Happy Inside – Pomegranate, Lime & Mint
- Nix and Kix – Mango Ginger
Do Europeans say Soda or Pop?
According to Edwin Chen, a data scientist on Twitter, ‘coke’ and ‘fizzy drinks’ are mainly used by Europeans in referring to soft drinks.
Chen made this conclusion after using advanced technology to make a map from tweets containing the words ‘soda’, ‘pop’, or coke.
However, this research is subject to error, as even though he tried to filter out the tweets that specified the coke brand, there’s a possibility that not all were filtered out.
Various names exist for soda all over Europe. In some parts of Scotland, carbonated drinks are called ‘ginger’, derived from the early days of ginger beer. ‘Fizzy juice’ and ‘fizz’ are also famous names for soda in Scotland.
In Poland, ‘cola’ is a more common name, while in Belgium, ‘coke’ is used more.
In non-European countries such as Australia and New Zealand, ‘soft drink’ or ‘fizzy drink’ is commonly used, and English speakers in South Africa call soft drinks ‘cool drinks.’
What do they call Soda in Canada?
In Canada, what soda is called depends on the region. Some people in Canada refer to soft drinks as ‘soda’ like the majority of Americans, while some others refer to them as ‘pop’.
‘Soft drink’ is the most common English term for soda in Montreal.
Pepsi and Coca-cola are the most popular soda brands and have the highest market share of soft drinks in Canada. Some notable Canadian brands include Crush, Big 8, Canadian Dry, and Clearly Canadian.
Carbonated Drinks in the UK
The popular title “carbonated drinks” was solely developed due to the presence of carbon dioxide in sodas, which gives them their fizzy nature.
Correspondingly, they were discovered when Englishman Joseph Priestley first discovered a method of infusing water with carbon dioxide to make carbonated water.
Carbonates are the UK’s highest-selling and most prominent category of soft drinks. They include colas, lemonade to fruit drinks, sparkling flavored water, and shandy.
The popularity of these sodas varies with the region. For example, Irn Bru has more drinkers in Scotland, and Vimto has a massive following in North-West England.
Carbonated drinks are manufactured in various flavors in the UK. The highest-selling flavors sold in the UK in 2021 were Cola (57.6%), Lemonade (8.2%), Orange (7.0%), Tonic, mixers, bitters (4.9%), Lemon/Lime (4.9%), and Others (17.5%).
Ingredients that form most sodas are water, carbon dioxide, sugar, intense sweeteners, acid, fruit/fruit juice, preservatives, flavorings, and colors.
Conclusion
In the UK, soft drinks are called ‘pop’, ‘fizzy drink’, ‘fizzy pop’ or simply by the brand name. It is also called fizzy drinks, juice, or fizz in other parts of the United Kingdom.
There is a vast market for soft drinks in the UK. It is home to several famous brands. Europeans call sodas various names, including coke, fizzy drinks, and ginger.
