The Sparkling Jam Soda

While my familiarity with TikTok is fleeting—apparently, you film yourself doing menial tasks while dancing—I do know certain culinary trends have originated from it. The latest craze, PopSugar tells us, is a zero-proof cocktail known simply as “sparkling jam soda.”

I'm not prepared to debase myself by doing a dance, but I did attempt to make the drink. It’s simple: Mix a heaped spoonful of preserve (I used raspberry) with sparkling water over ice in a highball glass. Stir vigorously, et voilà: a sparkling jam soda.

You will notice I went with a preserve. That’s simply because its smoother consistency mixes more easily than that of a chunky jam. I’m sure there is something to be said for clusters of berries, but it sounds impractical to drink.

The flavors? A lot better than I had expected. Refreshing. Naturally sweet. Dare I say, borderline sophisticated?

I can see why they call it the drink of summer. And I can also see why it turned into a TikTok phenomenon: You can mix the drink in seconds, the perfect timespan for a social media video. Heck, maybe I’m missing my true calling? Maybe dancing while preparing beverages is what I was meant to do?

I open the floor for the discussion.