Here’s my hot take: You can drink both, but for different reasons. Crushing a cold soda on a hot day is a cultural experience. It’s nostalgia in a can—the jingle, the fizz, the sticky fingers. I’m not judging that; I’m just saying it’s a choice, not a necessity.
Sparkling water is your everyday workhorse. It’s for hydration without the baggage. It’s for when you want to feel fancy but still fit into your jeans. It’s for the morning after you ate an entire pizza and need a reset.
So next time someone calls your LaCroix “soda,” you have permission to be pedantic. Correct them with a gentle smile and a knowing glint in your eye. Then offer them a sip of your “fancy carbonated aquifer water.” They’ll either love it or run away. Win-win, really.
