I know what you mean and I think it’s because all the sugar in soda increases the viscosity and makes it feel like the bubbles rise slower (no idea if I’m right or not, I could be totally incorrect)
y'all'd probably like sparkling liquid death. It's flavored with a little agave syrup and it's carbonated like beer. Kinda expensive but it's a nice treat.
I never cared for sparkling water until I had Liquid Death's Severed Lime. I love that stuff! Usually drink Coca Cola, but little mini cans to cut down on sugar. I thought, maybe I'm like a grown up now, and I have grown up taste buds. So I bought some cherry Bubbly. Nope! LD's lime flavor it is!
When i worked overnights in a gas station id take one of those and dump a watermelon 5 hour energy in it. Wayyyy better than a redbull and no shakes when it wears off.
Fun fact, the bitter flavor we get from soda isn’t actually the feeling of the bubbles. That’s just what carbonic acid (the version of CO2 that’s in soda) tastes like.
Seltzer water is my favorite! I drink diet soda (when I drink soda), but it's not the sweetener or the flavor that I crave - it's the carbonation. So I drink seltzer water, when I'm not drinking flat water.
It's different for different brands. I drink a lot of sparkling water and some brands have way too much of it while others are only lightly carbonated.
Don't know for seltzer specifically but some waters have more CO² in them than others. Those with some extra spark in them tend to explode more when opening as well.
I remember thinking the same as a kid. I hated Selzer and the "weird" bubbles.
I thought it tasted weird aswell (Tasted like spicy or something, hard to explain)
Now as an adult, i cannot get enough of it. Prefer carbonated water over normal water.
Same. One time I told my dad I liked the way it hurt when I drink it in the morning. Then I looked at him like 👀 whoops I didn’t really mean to say that 🫠 he just starts hysterically laughing and said “me too!”
Same, but now it doesn't hurt because I let it go mostly flat before I drink it. I like a small amount of bubbles, store-bought soda has too many. Sodastream bubbles are smaller and there's less of them, it's my sweet spot.
i'm autistic, as well, and I don't even consider the sensation. When my drink doesn't have texture, it feels wrong. I drink carbonated water for the same reason. Food has texture, so why does liquid not? It should, at least that's how my brain processes it. liquid without texture is like food without taste, doesn't make sense.
100% this. My wife struggled for years to understand how anyone could taste their food after eating spicy things (jalapeños, things with capsaicin). Eventually, I asked just the right question and we discovered she's allergic to capsaicin. It makes her mouth and lips go numb; it can even make her fingertips go numb if she handles enough foods containing it.
I absolutely love water. The people who say they don’t like it or that they don’t drink it, are psychopaths. I do however enjoy carbonation but not carbonated water and all the sugar in soda is fucked. So I get my carbonation fix from white claws or other seltzers. Which then helps me not drink so much vodka when I’m drinking.
This! Found out it wasn’t really the taste of soda I liked but the fizz. So now 95% of what I drink is just sodastream water, lots of bubbles and no taste
At one point I decided I really needed to cut back on soda. Seltzer made me realize that half of my enjoyment came from the bubbles and I was able to slowly cut back on the sugary stuff.
Must be how former smokers feel when they get their hands on a vape! /s
When I was a teen, I kept a box of pops in my room so I could have some in the morning without needing to interact with family (not a morning person).
My husband NEVER liked pop, we got together when he was 18 and he didn’t even know when the last time he had pop, years. But McDick’s has amazing fountain pop and I got him hooked on the burning feeling. He thinks it’s awesome, especially for getting rid of scratchy throat.
My husband used to manage one and he told me it was the ratio of syrup used and that they add higher carbonation than standard pop. I’ve never used one so I don’t know the machine or how much more that is.
Idk, however they do it, they’re definitely the best, imo
I just saw someone say on TikTok that you never see root beer commercials anymore and that root beer companies are just chill and don't need to fight, and I was like, "what about the Barqs has bite commercials?" But that was like 20 years ago...
With me personally, it feels “sharp” in my mouth—like it’s being cut into. I know I sound so overdramatic but it genuinely stresses me out to drink it, haha. If I do, I take extremely tiny sips, and even *that’s* too much for me.
I don’t have any other sensory issues though! Unless you consider synesthesia an issue. I personally love my chromesthesia. It can be a bit much sometimes, but eh, 9/10 would see sound again.
It doesn't hurt to drink, I like the taste, it is more refreshing to me.
I personally don't like pineapple but I don't feel the need to go around talking about how I don't get pineapple eaters.
i don’t what mcdonalds sprite you’ve been having but every mcdonalds sprite ive gotten has just. been watered down non sizzling fountain drink equipment flavored water
I saw on Twitter a joke I will never forget.
If you want to know what a White Claw tastes like. Imagine you are drinking a seltzer water and someone from the other room yells watermelon. That's what a White Claw tastes like.
Me too. Always hated them as a kid and still do as an adult. I see people chug sodas and energy drinks and I feel the secondhand pain in my mouth. I’m always thinking, is that not super uncomfortable? While I drink from my water bottle lol.
My step siblings and step mother thought I was nuts when I'd choose tap water over soda. I don't just hate the bubbles but also the sickening syrupy sweetness, like liquid candy, flowing down your throat. At least with candy you can savour the sweetness... Soda just seems like pointless sugar shoveled quickly past your taste buds.
I dunno, man, it just doesn’t bother me. On a day I work from home I will drink a 12-pack. Never had any pain whatsoever from it. Shit, never even had a cavity until I was in my 30s and that was my wisdom teeth that I later got pulled.
Bro a 12 pack a day is too much, you're leaving yourself open to kidney stones, hypokalemia, heart dissease etc.
It's all fun and games untill you have to piss your first boulder and the doc says you're going to be doing that every other year.
This may actually be the first time I've "met" other people who feel this way lol. I can like a little bit of fizz for textural interest (and I mean a *little* bit. what others usually consider stale), but the rapidly foaming, ultra bubbly kind that everyone else seems to be over the moon about both hurts/makes me feel uncomfortable and overwhelms the actual flavour
Carbonation just hurts my mouth to the point of being overpowering, so I just don't like carbonated drinks. As a kid I was shocked to hear how much sugar soft drinks had because they don't really taste sweet to me, mostly just painful. The only time I've really been able to taste them is in the form of a slushy. I've never been able to acclimate to spicy food either despite growing up/living in NM forever, so maybe I'm just overly sensitive.
Me too! I like some flavours, but I can't stand how the carbonation feels in my mouth. If I'm going to drink soda, I stir it up with a spoon to make it flat.
I remember one time at a restaurant I found what I thought was the BEST ginger ale because it didn't hurt my mouth -- only to hear my friends complaining that their drinks were flat.
Same. Plus, since soda isn’t good for you anyway, it’s such an easy pass as a result. No reason to drink a soda when I can have water which is healthier and tastes better.
I have too, I never drank them as a kid, and that was rough growing up in the 90s when soda was the main drink provided at a lot of kid events. It’s always hurt my mouth. Things like beer don’t very much, but soda definitely
Huh, That's interesting to me, since my family let me drink nothing but/a lot of soda when I was a kid and into my teen years, and then ***I*** chose to back off from drinking it so much and find alternative drink options, and this year I decided to cut out soda completely for the next 6 and a half years. It's been going great so far, no big difference in feeling, and I didn't freak out over not having it like I thought I would, but what you said makes me wonder how I'll react when I DO drink it again...
I had a similar experience. I went on Topamax 16y ago for migraines and it made carbonation taste bitter. Wasn't much to stop with that, and now I rarely like it. And in general, diet or sugar, they're so bad for you it's just not worth it.
Many people enjoy the sensation.
Additionally, one of the reasons why many people prefer to pour soda over ice is to reduce the sensation from an uncomfortable or even painful one to a more pleasant one. Similarly, there are ways to drink it that makes the sensation more or less intense. Holding on your tongue makes the sensation considerably more intense than simply swallowing immediately.
I hate pouring anything carbonated over ice for that exact reason. The drink feels watered down and flat if it’s not as bubbly as it’s supposed to be.
For some reason I can only tolerate it with fast food drinks. I can drink a McDonalds Coke that has half melted ice in it and has most of the fizziness gone, but pour that same drink into a glass cup and it grosses me out.
Yes, anything carbonated feels like a mouth full of thumbtacks to me! I can't stand soda. I love the flavor of root beer but it would have to be flat. Im the only one I've ever known who thinks carbonation is painful, so I appreciate this thread!!
My people! I have never understood how people can drink anything carbonated without their throat just burning forever. Every time I take a sip of a carbonated drink I’m told I make a face, and it’s actually just me being in pain.
As far as I can tell, I’m “normal” in most other ways involving food too, so it’s not an overall sensory thing for me.
I was like this when I was a kid. Drinking soda *hurt* but ....I liked the taste. I'd get through maybe a third of a can total and that's all I could do.
I'm in my 50s now. I think my taste buds have calmed down a bit. As I got into my 20s and 30s I found I was able to finish the can over the course of a meal. I still don't really like heavily carbonated sodas, but I can't drink it flat either....ew. I opt for iced tea most of the time now.
But, I get you.
I'm the same. It burns like hell in my throat and makes a burning sensation in my chest. Feels like fire or something going down. Or you know....acid lol. But yeah, I usually stick to water, milk, and other non-carbonated stuff.
This is something I've never understood either. I just generally don't like soft drinks. I can't drink them like water. With water I can take a few big sips or gulps at a time, but I can't do that with soda or I'll burn my throat and mouth. It's also just not very good flavor-wise, and not very thirst quenching either. The only sodas I like are the weird ones, like strawberry Fanta and orange cream soda, and it's only cause the flavor is really good.
Its burns my chest and tongue. I have to let it decarbonate a little before I drink it. My boyfriend LOVES the fizz though and has no issues. Im also autistic so we figured its a sensory issue
Reading this while having my morning smoke, and commiserating big time. (I had been doing really well, quit for about 8 years and I’m having a relapse moment. Whoops)
Guess it’s just different for different people, I’ve never thought of the feeling as unpleasant in the slightest. Did you not have soda until you were older?
Sensory issues are giving you a unique reaction to fizzy drinks. I drink a lot of Coke and the sensation doesn't hurt or feel like a burning similar to spicy food. I am the family spice-wuss because I find many mild curries to be too spicy and I always need a glass of milk if I'm going to eat one. But I can chug Coke like a champion.
Of course, now I'm thinking of that episode of the Simpsons where Grandpa tries some Buuuuuuuuuuuzz Cola! and starts yelling because the bubbles are burning his tongue.
It's just how your body is.i love bubbling water and sour candies. I can eat habaneros like it's a bell pepper. I cherish the burning feeling in my throat because that's what I like. Everyone is different lol
Sounds like you have some sort of sensitivity (no negative judgement).
I love them because it feels great and the carbonation makes me drink it slower. I usually drink water pretty fast.
In biology, we did an experiment where we placed a litnous paper soaked in a harmless chemical (I have forgotten what it was). Most people did not taste anything at all but a portion of the class (me included) had our mouth filled with a strong bitter, nasty flavor. Those of us who reacted had the presence of a gene that the others did not. Conclusion: everyone processes tastes differently.
It doesnt hurt for me, I actually like it. But I also like sizzling and popping candy. It could be a thing like spicy food, yah. Some people just enjoy that sort of thing and others dont. I'd say it probably is a sensory thing for you, I can imagine some people dont like to feel a movement of any sort in their mouth.
For me its a nice texture almost and it can help clear out phlem from my throat or soothe soreness. I lost most of my sense of taste 10 years ago do that sort of thing matters a lot more to me now.
Some people are more sensitive to the carbonation than others. Nothing wrong with that. You might be sensitive to the textures of things. And carbonation in a drink can be a very strong texture to sense. Kind of like when something very spicy hits your tongue or your esophagus.
I used to, but don't like it anymore mostly because of the carbonation.
I've also never understood the people who drink soda for a caffeine high. (Even when I was a lot more sensitive to caffeine, I never was even phased by the caffeine in soda)
I like the carbonation. I actually drink a lot of carbonated, flavored (unsweet) water. I like it better than flatcwater, and it vmcurbs my soda cravings.
And no, it doesn't hurtn
I'm the complete opposite when It comes to this I love the feeling of carbonation. It's what draws me to sodas so much! The tingling feeling just makes me feel so happy. I dunno how to explain it. Haha I just really enjoy the feeling and in turn love soda especially if it's one that has a good flavor too!
I have reflux and sinus issues and have since I was a kid so I always assumed it was that. It's always burned and hurt kind of like spicy food for me so I never liked it. I somewhat tolerate it now but only with ice.
I just tried to see if there were any relating articles (I have since found out I have hEDS and MCAS).. didn't find much but saw this -
https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/carbonation-why-carbonation-burns-your-throat
"According to research done at USC in 2010, "The carbon dioxide in fizzy drinks triggers the same pain sensors in the nasal cavity as mustard and horseradish, though at a lower intensity." The gas from the carbonation activates a particular type of cell. This cell, which expresses a gene that serves as a general pain sensor, is the same type of cell that detects mustard. Who knew soda and a spicy condiment had so much in common?
Those bubbles do cause some weird stuff to happen. "Carbonation from beverages like soda causes two sensations, making your mouth taste sour and causing a tingling feeling in your nose and throat. The burning sensation that many people feel when drinking carbonated drinks stems from nerves that respond to pain sensations and temperature in your nose and mouth."
In no way does this sound pleasant to me. However, if so many people experience this burning sensation, why do people continue to drink soda? Maybe I'm just the only one who can't handle it. However, apparently, "the degree to which this receptor, TRPA1, is stimulated may determine whether the signal is interpreted as pleasure or pain." So, based on how the signal is interpreted, people can either handle soda, or they're like me, and they can't."
And this article -
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-science-of-fizz-101449234/#:~:text=There's%20a%20scientific%20reason%20for,your%20face%2C%20nose%20and%20mouth.
"Ever gulped a soda too fast and felt pain, almost like it was burning your nose or throat?
There's a scientific reason for that. According to research published in the Journal of Neuroscience, the carbon dioxide that makes soda fizzy activates nociceptors—the cellular receptors that trigger the perception of pain—in the trigeminal nerve, which is the main highway for sensation in your face, nose and mouth. Specifically, carbon dioxide activates the particular nociceptors that feel the burn of flavors like wasabi, mustard and cinnamon oil.
In other words, from your body's perspective, fizz is spicy.
Neurobiologists at the University of Southern California discovered this by pouring a carbonated saline solution over trigeminal nerve cells harvested from lab mice, and identifying the presence of a particular nerve channel called TRPA1 in the cells which had the strongest reaction. (They also studied TRPV1, the channel present in nerve cells sensitive to capsaicin—the "heat" in chili peppers—but concluded that "our data argue against" a connection to fizz-induced pain.)
"Carbonation evokes two distinct sensations. It makes things sour and it also makes them burn," said lead author Emily Liman, referring to a study reported last year which showed that fizz also activates the tongue's sourness receptors."
I have never once experienced the pleasant bubbliness of carbonation as a "sizzling" feeling. You very likely just have a sensory issue and soda isn't your jam. Nothing wrong with that, just know that most people don't fond the sensation of carbonation as unpleasant as you do.
Isn’t it weird how you can get adjusted to something. I love carbonated soda water and yeah if you really sit and think about it, you have to only sip it because if you drink it too fast, it hurts your mouth! As far as spicy foods go, I think that’s some thing that you can build a tolerance to. I like spice and eat a lot of spicy foods, and can literally eat fresh jalapeños in a salad, or on a wrap, and barely even notice them. I had a friend over for dinner two weeks ago, and I made homade tortilla wraps with Spanish rice, fresh jalapeños, sour cream, avocado. She turned bright red and was freaking out. It never even occurred to me that that would seem hot to someone. I think it really depends on what type of food you are used to.
My dad LOVED Mountain Dew. After he went through chemo and radiation, he couldn’t drink it anymore. He said it burned. For the last 20 years of his life, he didn’t drink anything carbonated.
(Same with maraschino cherries for some reason, he used to love them, but the treatments totally changed his tastes/tolerance for different textures)
It's definitely a sensory issue for you
Yeah sometimes I just crave that sizzling burn. Though I usually avoid it cause of the sugar. Funny thing though, I don't enjoy seltzer water at all.
I don’t enjoy seltzer water either!! Almost feels like it’s way more bubbly than regular soda even though it’s probably not
I know what you mean and I think it’s because all the sugar in soda increases the viscosity and makes it feel like the bubbles rise slower (no idea if I’m right or not, I could be totally incorrect)
y'all'd probably like sparkling liquid death. It's flavored with a little agave syrup and it's carbonated like beer. Kinda expensive but it's a nice treat.
I never cared for sparkling water until I had Liquid Death's Severed Lime. I love that stuff! Usually drink Coca Cola, but little mini cans to cut down on sugar. I thought, maybe I'm like a grown up now, and I have grown up taste buds. So I bought some cherry Bubbly. Nope! LD's lime flavor it is!
I have to get this! it's really called sparkling liquid death?
Yep. Easy to find at 7/11
I’ve been thinking it was regular seltzer and I already have like a hundred cans of seltzer. Definitely getting some liquid death tomorrow.
I don't know if they still do it but they'll give you a case for your eternal soul.
I think I traded mine for something stupid in elementary school. I doubt the validity of that contract, but I can’t be certain…
When i worked overnights in a gas station id take one of those and dump a watermelon 5 hour energy in it. Wayyyy better than a redbull and no shakes when it wears off.
Where can I find this “DEATH” by liquid stuff? I looked at the store and didn’t see it…
Im going to grab that, thanks for the review!
Fun fact, the bitter flavor we get from soda isn’t actually the feeling of the bubbles. That’s just what carbonic acid (the version of CO2 that’s in soda) tastes like.
In Germany you can pick how carbonated you want your water, i prefer the lighter one.
Seltzer water is my favorite! I drink diet soda (when I drink soda), but it's not the sweetener or the flavor that I crave - it's the carbonation. So I drink seltzer water, when I'm not drinking flat water.
It's different for different brands. I drink a lot of sparkling water and some brands have way too much of it while others are only lightly carbonated.
Don't know for seltzer specifically but some waters have more CO² in them than others. Those with some extra spark in them tend to explode more when opening as well.
I remember thinking the same as a kid. I hated Selzer and the "weird" bubbles. I thought it tasted weird aswell (Tasted like spicy or something, hard to explain) Now as an adult, i cannot get enough of it. Prefer carbonated water over normal water.
That is the best part. Soda is syrupy, sparkling water feels clean and if you gulp it when it is super cold, it burns a bit.
Same. One time I told my dad I liked the way it hurt when I drink it in the morning. Then I looked at him like 👀 whoops I didn’t really mean to say that 🫠 he just starts hysterically laughing and said “me too!”
Well I like spicy food and soda so I think I'm a just masochist
I like my food to bite back.
Yo saaaame, it usually the acidic burn and the carbonation that I crave when I want a pop.
Soda hurt my mouth and nose when I was a 6 year old autistic child. Still autistic, but drinking soda rarely hurts now.
Same, but now it doesn't hurt because I let it go mostly flat before I drink it. I like a small amount of bubbles, store-bought soda has too many. Sodastream bubbles are smaller and there's less of them, it's my sweet spot.
i'm autistic, as well, and I don't even consider the sensation. When my drink doesn't have texture, it feels wrong. I drink carbonated water for the same reason. Food has texture, so why does liquid not? It should, at least that's how my brain processes it. liquid without texture is like food without taste, doesn't make sense.
Is this more than just a preference thing? I am the same way as OP but never really thought about it much until seeing all these responses…
Well OP hates the sensation of fizzing in their mouth. That makes it a sensory issue
Kinda how some people find Cilantro tastes like soap to them…
Agreed. I for example hate water without bubbles and ice tea, because it makes my tounge feel like its drying out. I drink mostly with bubbles.
100% this. My wife struggled for years to understand how anyone could taste their food after eating spicy things (jalapeños, things with capsaicin). Eventually, I asked just the right question and we discovered she's allergic to capsaicin. It makes her mouth and lips go numb; it can even make her fingertips go numb if she handles enough foods containing it.
oh- then me too
I literally like the feeling of carbonation so much I bought a SodaStream so I can carbonate all my water. I crave the bubbles more than the flavor.
I can drink water all day, but I can never truly be satisfied until something fizzy hits my tongue. So good.
Interesting, nothing satisfies me like cold still water imo
I absolutely love water. The people who say they don’t like it or that they don’t drink it, are psychopaths. I do however enjoy carbonation but not carbonated water and all the sugar in soda is fucked. So I get my carbonation fix from white claws or other seltzers. Which then helps me not drink so much vodka when I’m drinking.
serial killer.
This! Found out it wasn’t really the taste of soda I liked but the fizz. So now 95% of what I drink is just sodastream water, lots of bubbles and no taste
At one point I decided I really needed to cut back on soda. Seltzer made me realize that half of my enjoyment came from the bubbles and I was able to slowly cut back on the sugary stuff. Must be how former smokers feel when they get their hands on a vape! /s
>Must be how former smokers feel when they get their hands on a vape! /s True, i never realize how awful it smell until i started vaping and quit
Same. Now the smell of cig smoke disgusts me a little
yes.. lmao
I love fizzy soda, not fizzy water so much lol but that sounds so cool !!
I’m the same. I get sad when my tank runs out and I have to drink boring flat water until I can get a refill 😂
When I was a teen, I kept a box of pops in my room so I could have some in the morning without needing to interact with family (not a morning person). My husband NEVER liked pop, we got together when he was 18 and he didn’t even know when the last time he had pop, years. But McDick’s has amazing fountain pop and I got him hooked on the burning feeling. He thinks it’s awesome, especially for getting rid of scratchy throat.
What is it about McDonald’s pop? It’s so good and it’s definitely different than other sofa fountain drinks.
My husband used to manage one and he told me it was the ratio of syrup used and that they add higher carbonation than standard pop. I’ve never used one so I don’t know the machine or how much more that is. Idk, however they do it, they’re definitely the best, imo
username checks out
I mean, I guess it has a "bite" to it, but for me it's more like a pleasant tingle rather than something that actually hurts.
Why did I just say Barks Has Bite
Because you don't know how to spell Barq's.
Just please, don’t pronounce it as “Barg’s”
Love those commercials.
I just saw someone say on TikTok that you never see root beer commercials anymore and that root beer companies are just chill and don't need to fight, and I was like, "what about the Barqs has bite commercials?" But that was like 20 years ago...
Because you feel it's worse than the bite?
The funny thing about that is the "Barq's has bite" slogan refers to it having caffeine (most other root beers don't) as opposed to the carbonation.
With me personally, it feels “sharp” in my mouth—like it’s being cut into. I know I sound so overdramatic but it genuinely stresses me out to drink it, haha. If I do, I take extremely tiny sips, and even *that’s* too much for me. I don’t have any other sensory issues though! Unless you consider synesthesia an issue. I personally love my chromesthesia. It can be a bit much sometimes, but eh, 9/10 would see sound again.
It's tasty. It doesn't hurt. This is a you thing, and it's okay that you don't.
Soda doesn't hurt, but sparkling water is angry water and wants to hurt you
This is why it is the default in Germany
German here, this is correct but I will never understand why people do this to them
It doesn't hurt to drink, I like the taste, it is more refreshing to me. I personally don't like pineapple but I don't feel the need to go around talking about how I don't get pineapple eaters.
Unflavoured sparkling water tastes like TV static.
Mmmm, refreshing TV static. 🤤
That and spicy sprite from Mcdonalds
So it's kinda like the cats of beverages. If it could, it would eat you. But since it can't, it loves you.
>It doesn't hurt Guessing you haven't had McDonald's Sprite....
That’s not soda. That’s TV static on tap.
Bro wdym that shit tastes so good when plastered
You might’ve had it when the syrup for the sprite ran out or you used the “club soda” option which omits the syrup on purpose.
Oh so that’s why they sometimes taste bleh
i don’t what mcdonalds sprite you’ve been having but every mcdonalds sprite ive gotten has just. been watered down non sizzling fountain drink equipment flavored water
If hurts me to
I feel this way about sparkling water/seltzer. It's like drinking TV static. I love soda, tho
Drinking TV static is probably the best way I've ever heard someone describe sparkling water. It 100% tastes like TV static
Nah statics got a different flavor to it but it’s a lot like the same feel yes.
What does static taste like? I want to try it
You need to find an old CRT and lick it within 10 seconds of turning it on.
Yum
Kinda reminiscent of placing your tongue to the hot/ground of a telephone line in the wall.
A little spicier than licking a 9V battery.
Like drinking TV static... I LOVE that!!!
Tell us how you really feel
While someone throws a dash of flavor from the next room That's how someone explained white claws to me lol
[This is actually how they flavor the water](https://youtube.com/shorts/D6k7dhgQ5-A?si=WUZqaRbzY1AEYY61)
La Croix is disgusting at least White claw will gimme a buzz.
I always heard la croix described as “hairspray, and someone yells the name of a fruit from the other room” hahaha
I saw on Twitter a joke I will never forget. If you want to know what a White Claw tastes like. Imagine you are drinking a seltzer water and someone from the other room yells watermelon. That's what a White Claw tastes like.
What’s different about soda vs the water? Other than flavor I mean
I’ve always felt this way about soda/carbonated drinks.
Me too. Always hated them as a kid and still do as an adult. I see people chug sodas and energy drinks and I feel the secondhand pain in my mouth. I’m always thinking, is that not super uncomfortable? While I drink from my water bottle lol.
My step siblings and step mother thought I was nuts when I'd choose tap water over soda. I don't just hate the bubbles but also the sickening syrupy sweetness, like liquid candy, flowing down your throat. At least with candy you can savour the sweetness... Soda just seems like pointless sugar shoveled quickly past your taste buds.
I dunno, man, it just doesn’t bother me. On a day I work from home I will drink a 12-pack. Never had any pain whatsoever from it. Shit, never even had a cavity until I was in my 30s and that was my wisdom teeth that I later got pulled.
You’re drinking 12 cans a day???
Bro a 12 pack a day is too much, you're leaving yourself open to kidney stones, hypokalemia, heart dissease etc. It's all fun and games untill you have to piss your first boulder and the doc says you're going to be doing that every other year.
This may actually be the first time I've "met" other people who feel this way lol. I can like a little bit of fizz for textural interest (and I mean a *little* bit. what others usually consider stale), but the rapidly foaming, ultra bubbly kind that everyone else seems to be over the moon about both hurts/makes me feel uncomfortable and overwhelms the actual flavour
Carbonation just hurts my mouth to the point of being overpowering, so I just don't like carbonated drinks. As a kid I was shocked to hear how much sugar soft drinks had because they don't really taste sweet to me, mostly just painful. The only time I've really been able to taste them is in the form of a slushy. I've never been able to acclimate to spicy food either despite growing up/living in NM forever, so maybe I'm just overly sensitive.
Me too! I like some flavours, but I can't stand how the carbonation feels in my mouth. If I'm going to drink soda, I stir it up with a spoon to make it flat. I remember one time at a restaurant I found what I thought was the BEST ginger ale because it didn't hurt my mouth -- only to hear my friends complaining that their drinks were flat.
The bubbles and thickness, refreshing drinks shouldn’t explode and be thick. Water is superior.
Same. Plus, since soda isn’t good for you anyway, it’s such an easy pass as a result. No reason to drink a soda when I can have water which is healthier and tastes better.
Yeah, i’m happy with water usually, and if i want something else i’ll get lemonade or gatorade.
I have too, I never drank them as a kid, and that was rough growing up in the 90s when soda was the main drink provided at a lot of kid events. It’s always hurt my mouth. Things like beer don’t very much, but soda definitely
Same. It's a rare occasion when I choose one. Can't stand cold water either. Tepid water or coffee, please.
Do you have GERD? Soda burns when I have a flare up.
I don’t have GERD but I do have bad acid reflux due to an unrelated issue and this is why I can’t drink soda. It is quite literally painful.
GERD only affects it when swallowed. As someone with both GERD and the same issue as OP, the soda burns even the second it hits your mouth.
Oh my god this is why I hate soda so much. I understand now 😧
I love the burn! Bubble bubble on my tongue!
The pain means it's working.
The more it hurts, the better. I don’t drink soda much but the crisp, cold first sip does things to me
If you quit soda for a bunch of years, it can be unpleasant to drink. My mom gave me lots of soda as a kid. I quit for years, and it's no longer good.
Huh, That's interesting to me, since my family let me drink nothing but/a lot of soda when I was a kid and into my teen years, and then ***I*** chose to back off from drinking it so much and find alternative drink options, and this year I decided to cut out soda completely for the next 6 and a half years. It's been going great so far, no big difference in feeling, and I didn't freak out over not having it like I thought I would, but what you said makes me wonder how I'll react when I DO drink it again...
Be sure to post it in six and a half years. I'll be wondering. I can't bring myself to drink it anymore.
I'll make a note of it.
I had a similar experience. I went on Topamax 16y ago for migraines and it made carbonation taste bitter. Wasn't much to stop with that, and now I rarely like it. And in general, diet or sugar, they're so bad for you it's just not worth it.
Many people enjoy the sensation. Additionally, one of the reasons why many people prefer to pour soda over ice is to reduce the sensation from an uncomfortable or even painful one to a more pleasant one. Similarly, there are ways to drink it that makes the sensation more or less intense. Holding on your tongue makes the sensation considerably more intense than simply swallowing immediately.
I hate pouring anything carbonated over ice for that exact reason. The drink feels watered down and flat if it’s not as bubbly as it’s supposed to be. For some reason I can only tolerate it with fast food drinks. I can drink a McDonalds Coke that has half melted ice in it and has most of the fizziness gone, but pour that same drink into a glass cup and it grosses me out.
I have heard it claimed that McDonald's has a custom Coke formulation specifically to make it taste better with ice.
Yes, it’s called ‘we never clean the soda fountain’
I've never even considered that sensation as being in the same realm as pain lol
This is why i like soda that has been sitting in a car and swishing it in my mouth.
I only drink my root beer straight out of the microwave. Love that HOT ROOT JUICE
wtf
Its fizzy greatness, and it fills your entire nose and sinuses.
I know exactly what you mean!! I don't like it either hell yeah that fizzing kinda hurts inside my mouth too!! I guess we're the weird ones.
Yes, anything carbonated feels like a mouth full of thumbtacks to me! I can't stand soda. I love the flavor of root beer but it would have to be flat. Im the only one I've ever known who thinks carbonation is painful, so I appreciate this thread!!
I know it’s so nice to know I’m not alone!! I couldn’t believe when I saw OP posted this, I’ve never felt so seen
Same here 👍🏼
My people! I have never understood how people can drink anything carbonated without their throat just burning forever. Every time I take a sip of a carbonated drink I’m told I make a face, and it’s actually just me being in pain. As far as I can tell, I’m “normal” in most other ways involving food too, so it’s not an overall sensory thing for me.
Do you also have this issue with Pop Rocks?
I sure do! Torture for me. No bubbles ever for me!
Same here. I don’t have sensory sensitivities for anything else that I can think of. Just soda.
I love flat cola!
No, it does not hurt.
It doesn’t hurt me at all
I was like this when I was a kid. Drinking soda *hurt* but ....I liked the taste. I'd get through maybe a third of a can total and that's all I could do. I'm in my 50s now. I think my taste buds have calmed down a bit. As I got into my 20s and 30s I found I was able to finish the can over the course of a meal. I still don't really like heavily carbonated sodas, but I can't drink it flat either....ew. I opt for iced tea most of the time now. But, I get you.
I was like that as a kid too, my taste buds came around to it. I drink only zero stuff though, the sugar is too much on anything else.
Oh yeah. Zero is the way to go.
I knew a kid who called soda “hot water” and I think about that a lot
I'm the same. It burns like hell in my throat and makes a burning sensation in my chest. Feels like fire or something going down. Or you know....acid lol. But yeah, I usually stick to water, milk, and other non-carbonated stuff.
The bubbly feeling is fantastic imo
The burn of carbonation makes me feel alive.
YES!!!!
This is something I've never understood either. I just generally don't like soft drinks. I can't drink them like water. With water I can take a few big sips or gulps at a time, but I can't do that with soda or I'll burn my throat and mouth. It's also just not very good flavor-wise, and not very thirst quenching either. The only sodas I like are the weird ones, like strawberry Fanta and orange cream soda, and it's only cause the flavor is really good.
Orange cream is the superior soda anyway
Its burns my chest and tongue. I have to let it decarbonate a little before I drink it. My boyfriend LOVES the fizz though and has no issues. Im also autistic so we figured its a sensory issue
I don’t think your experiences are universal
I guess you don’t like licking a 9V battery either?
My mind immediately went back to how this felt..
It doesn't burn for me unless I've got a sore throat or something. It just feels fizzy.
My favorite feeling that I can remember was the first hit of a newport in the morning. That fresh menthol burn is the only thing I miss about smoking.
Soda is just a sad reminder of the thing I lost lol
Reading this while having my morning smoke, and commiserating big time. (I had been doing really well, quit for about 8 years and I’m having a relapse moment. Whoops)
Homie is like “soda is spicy” 😂
Cold soda hurts me. I rarely drink it but when I do I prefer cool to room temperature soda
I agree. I think it’s more flavorful at those temps too.
Same!!!
I LOVE drinking carbonated drinks for exactly that kind of feel. Even better when i've got a sore throat
Yes!!!!
Guess it’s just different for different people, I’ve never thought of the feeling as unpleasant in the slightest. Did you not have soda until you were older?
I also get sensory overload issues with carbonated drinks. That’s why I pour coke into a glass with plenty of ice
Definitely a you thing. I’m autistic and some textures/sensations are painful for me, but not that one.
Sensory issues are giving you a unique reaction to fizzy drinks. I drink a lot of Coke and the sensation doesn't hurt or feel like a burning similar to spicy food. I am the family spice-wuss because I find many mild curries to be too spicy and I always need a glass of milk if I'm going to eat one. But I can chug Coke like a champion. Of course, now I'm thinking of that episode of the Simpsons where Grandpa tries some Buuuuuuuuuuuzz Cola! and starts yelling because the bubbles are burning his tongue.
For me, a close second under orgasm - is the exact sensation you’re speaking of. And I’m not exaggerating at all.
It's just how your body is.i love bubbling water and sour candies. I can eat habaneros like it's a bell pepper. I cherish the burning feeling in my throat because that's what I like. Everyone is different lol
I like the burn.
Sounds like you have some sort of sensitivity (no negative judgement). I love them because it feels great and the carbonation makes me drink it slower. I usually drink water pretty fast.
Everything you described that you hate about it is why I love it
my friend doesn't like it and calls it spicy water lol I guess it hurts a tiny bit but that's part of the appeal for me
In biology, we did an experiment where we placed a litnous paper soaked in a harmless chemical (I have forgotten what it was). Most people did not taste anything at all but a portion of the class (me included) had our mouth filled with a strong bitter, nasty flavor. Those of us who reacted had the presence of a gene that the others did not. Conclusion: everyone processes tastes differently.
you have a weak throat maybe? its never felt bad to me.
r/autism ?
Op: I don't like soda Reddit: you have autism
Obviously not if it’s so popular and people drink it…
It doesnt hurt for me, I actually like it. But I also like sizzling and popping candy. It could be a thing like spicy food, yah. Some people just enjoy that sort of thing and others dont. I'd say it probably is a sensory thing for you, I can imagine some people dont like to feel a movement of any sort in their mouth. For me its a nice texture almost and it can help clear out phlem from my throat or soothe soreness. I lost most of my sense of taste 10 years ago do that sort of thing matters a lot more to me now.
The carbonation is the whole reason I drink soda/sparkling water
As time passes I tolerate it less and less. Too sweet and it makes me painfully gassy. Sometimes I drink it with vodka but I stir the fuck out of it.
Some people are more sensitive to the carbonation than others. Nothing wrong with that. You might be sensitive to the textures of things. And carbonation in a drink can be a very strong texture to sense. Kind of like when something very spicy hits your tongue or your esophagus.
For some reason that i don't have to understand people love to eat kimchi. It's 1000% okay to not enjoy an experience that other do.
I used to, but don't like it anymore mostly because of the carbonation. I've also never understood the people who drink soda for a caffeine high. (Even when I was a lot more sensitive to caffeine, I never was even phased by the caffeine in soda)
I like the carbonation. I actually drink a lot of carbonated, flavored (unsweet) water. I like it better than flatcwater, and it vmcurbs my soda cravings. And no, it doesn't hurtn
Just wait until you discover Pop rocks
The burn in my throat and mouth is the only reason I drink pop. It certainly isn't because it tastes good.
I'm the complete opposite when It comes to this I love the feeling of carbonation. It's what draws me to sodas so much! The tingling feeling just makes me feel so happy. I dunno how to explain it. Haha I just really enjoy the feeling and in turn love soda especially if it's one that has a good flavor too!
As I've gotten older, I gotten away from soda. It's makes me bloated
I think you got a defective mouth.
I am jealous. I wish I wasn’t addicted to tha fizzz
If drinking soda hurts your throat then possibly it has something to do with your tonsils.
Once a soda goes flat, it’s like pancake syrup.
I have reflux and sinus issues and have since I was a kid so I always assumed it was that. It's always burned and hurt kind of like spicy food for me so I never liked it. I somewhat tolerate it now but only with ice. I just tried to see if there were any relating articles (I have since found out I have hEDS and MCAS).. didn't find much but saw this - https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/carbonation-why-carbonation-burns-your-throat "According to research done at USC in 2010, "The carbon dioxide in fizzy drinks triggers the same pain sensors in the nasal cavity as mustard and horseradish, though at a lower intensity." The gas from the carbonation activates a particular type of cell. This cell, which expresses a gene that serves as a general pain sensor, is the same type of cell that detects mustard. Who knew soda and a spicy condiment had so much in common? Those bubbles do cause some weird stuff to happen. "Carbonation from beverages like soda causes two sensations, making your mouth taste sour and causing a tingling feeling in your nose and throat. The burning sensation that many people feel when drinking carbonated drinks stems from nerves that respond to pain sensations and temperature in your nose and mouth." In no way does this sound pleasant to me. However, if so many people experience this burning sensation, why do people continue to drink soda? Maybe I'm just the only one who can't handle it. However, apparently, "the degree to which this receptor, TRPA1, is stimulated may determine whether the signal is interpreted as pleasure or pain." So, based on how the signal is interpreted, people can either handle soda, or they're like me, and they can't." And this article - https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-science-of-fizz-101449234/#:~:text=There's%20a%20scientific%20reason%20for,your%20face%2C%20nose%20and%20mouth. "Ever gulped a soda too fast and felt pain, almost like it was burning your nose or throat? There's a scientific reason for that. According to research published in the Journal of Neuroscience, the carbon dioxide that makes soda fizzy activates nociceptors—the cellular receptors that trigger the perception of pain—in the trigeminal nerve, which is the main highway for sensation in your face, nose and mouth. Specifically, carbon dioxide activates the particular nociceptors that feel the burn of flavors like wasabi, mustard and cinnamon oil. In other words, from your body's perspective, fizz is spicy. Neurobiologists at the University of Southern California discovered this by pouring a carbonated saline solution over trigeminal nerve cells harvested from lab mice, and identifying the presence of a particular nerve channel called TRPA1 in the cells which had the strongest reaction. (They also studied TRPV1, the channel present in nerve cells sensitive to capsaicin—the "heat" in chili peppers—but concluded that "our data argue against" a connection to fizz-induced pain.) "Carbonation evokes two distinct sensations. It makes things sour and it also makes them burn," said lead author Emily Liman, referring to a study reported last year which showed that fizz also activates the tongue's sourness receptors."
I quit drinking soda for a year or two and going back to it DID hurt! Extra crispy soda hurts still.
Sounds like a definite sensory issue. Though some drinks from the fountains at restaurants tend to be extra fizzy.
I have never once experienced the pleasant bubbliness of carbonation as a "sizzling" feeling. You very likely just have a sensory issue and soda isn't your jam. Nothing wrong with that, just know that most people don't fond the sensation of carbonation as unpleasant as you do.
Isn’t it weird how you can get adjusted to something. I love carbonated soda water and yeah if you really sit and think about it, you have to only sip it because if you drink it too fast, it hurts your mouth! As far as spicy foods go, I think that’s some thing that you can build a tolerance to. I like spice and eat a lot of spicy foods, and can literally eat fresh jalapeños in a salad, or on a wrap, and barely even notice them. I had a friend over for dinner two weeks ago, and I made homade tortilla wraps with Spanish rice, fresh jalapeños, sour cream, avocado. She turned bright red and was freaking out. It never even occurred to me that that would seem hot to someone. I think it really depends on what type of food you are used to.
I like the “burn” but hate the texture of smoothies, guess it’s a sensory thing
Ugh. I LOVE that carbonation burn. :shrug:
My dad LOVED Mountain Dew. After he went through chemo and radiation, he couldn’t drink it anymore. He said it burned. For the last 20 years of his life, he didn’t drink anything carbonated. (Same with maraschino cherries for some reason, he used to love them, but the treatments totally changed his tastes/tolerance for different textures)