How Do Seltzers Get Flavored? Understanding Natural Essences, Extracts, and Infusions

December 9, 2025 •

3 min read

Over 50% of consumers drink sparkling water, and a major reason is the variety of crisp flavors available. But how do seltzers get flavored with such accuracy and often zero calories? The answer lies in sophisticated food science, which utilizes natural essences, extracts, and sometimes even real fruit infusions to achieve that perfect taste.

Quick Summary

Seltzers are flavored primarily with concentrated natural essences and extracts derived from fruits, herbs, and spices. These volatile flavor compounds are meticulously captured and added to carbonated water during the manufacturing process to produce a wide range of tastes.

Key Points

Natural Essences: Seltzers are primarily flavored with concentrated extracts, called essences, derived from natural sources like fruits, vegetables, and herbs through processes like distillation and cold-pressing.
Flavor Customization: Flavorists blend different essences to create unique and complex flavor combinations, such as strawberry-kiwi or other signature blends.
Real Fruit Infusion: Some brands use real fruit pulp or juice to achieve flavor, resulting in a less intense taste, a slightly cloudy appearance, and a few calories.
Additives: Ingredients like citric acid are often added to enhance tartness and extend shelf life, while other additives may be used to stabilize fermented hard seltzers.
Artificial vs. Natural: Natural flavors are derived from real food sources, whereas artificial flavors are created in a lab to mimic those tastes; both can be used to flavor seltzers.
Precise Manufacturing: Seltzer flavoring is added in precise, controlled amounts to purified, carbonated water during the final stages of the manufacturing process to ensure product consistency.

The Science of Flavoring Seltzer

At its core, seltzer is simply carbonated water. The addition of flavor transforms this basic beverage into the wide array of refreshing options found on store shelves. The most common method involves adding highly concentrated flavor compounds, known as 'essences' or 'extracts', directly to the carbonated water. These flavors are sourced from real, natural ingredients, defined by the FDA as extracts from spices, fruits, vegetables, and other plant materials.

Capturing Natural Essences

Flavor companies employ various sophisticated techniques to extract volatile flavor compounds from natural sources. These techniques are designed to capture the purest, most concentrated flavor possible.

Steam Distillation: A common method where plant materials like lemon peels or mint leaves are steamed. The steam carries the aromatic volatile compounds, which are then condensed back into a liquid, capturing the essence.
Cold Pressing: Primarily used for citrus fruits, this mechanical method squeezes the fruit peels to release essential oils without using heat, which helps preserve the delicate, fresh aromas.
Extraction: Solvents can also be used to pull flavor components from materials, which are then removed, leaving behind a highly concentrated extract.

Once collected, these essences are meticulously blended by flavorists to create complex and appealing flavor profiles, such as strawberry-kiwi or orange-vanilla.

The Role of Real Fruit and Juices

While essences are the go-to for most zero-calorie flavored seltzers, some brands differentiate themselves by using real fruit or fruit juice. Brands like Spindrift use a small amount of actual fruit juice to flavor their seltzers, which is why they contain a few calories and sometimes a slight color. This method provides a more authentic fruit flavor but requires more careful processing to ensure product stability. Home brewers often use fruit juice, purees, or even vinegar-based shrubs to flavor their own sparkling water creations.

Citric Acid and Other Additives

Beyond flavor compounds, other additives may be used to enhance the seltzer's profile. Citric acid is a common addition for several reasons. It can provide a tart, zesty flavor, especially in citrus-based seltzers, and also acts as a preservative, preventing the growth of unwanted microorganisms. For hard seltzers, which are fermented and have a different production process, stabilizers or additional filtering methods are used to prepare the base liquid for flavoring.

Comparison of Flavoring Methods


Feature	Natural Essences/Extracts	Real Fruit/Juice	Artificial Flavors
Source	Plant or animal sources (fruit peel, herbs)	Actual fruit pulp or juice	Synthesized in a lab
Calorie Count	Typically zero calories	Generally 10-15 calories per serving	Typically zero calories
Flavor Profile	Intense, concentrated, often captures just the aroma	More authentic, less intense, can taste sweeter or more complex	Chemically created to mimic natural flavors
Clarity	Crystal clear	Can be slightly cloudy	Crystal clear
Processing	Distillation, pressing, extraction	Maceration, juicing	Chemical synthesis
Cost	Can be more resource-intensive and expensive	Varies depending on fruit used	Generally cheaper to produce

The Manufacturing and Flavoring Process

The journey of a flavored seltzer from raw materials to a finished product is a complex but streamlined operation:

Water Purification: The process often starts with highly purified water, typically using reverse osmosis, to ensure a neutral base free from contaminants. This is crucial for consistent flavor profiles.
Carbonation: Carbon dioxide gas is injected into the purified water under pressure to create the signature bubbles.
Flavoring: The concentrated flavor essences are added to the carbonated water in precise, carefully measured amounts. This is often one of the final steps before packaging.
Mixing and Quality Control: The flavored and carbonated water is thoroughly mixed, and samples are tested for consistency, flavor intensity, and carbonation levels. For brands using real fruit, this is where the juice or pulp would be blended in.
Packaging: The finished product is filled into cans or bottles and sealed for sale.

Conclusion: Flavor, Science, and Consumer Choice

Understanding how seltzers get flavored reveals a fascinating blend of nature and technology. Whether through the careful extraction of natural essences or the inclusion of real fruit, the process is designed to deliver a refreshing and consistent product. The choice between a zero-calorie seltzer with essences and a lightly-caloric option with real fruit ultimately comes down to personal preference for flavor intensity, mouthfeel, and transparency in ingredients. As consumers become more aware of what's in their beverages, the methods used to flavor seltzers will continue to evolve to meet market demands for natural and innovative flavors.

For more detailed information on FDA regulations regarding food flavorings, you can refer to the FDA's Code of Federal Regulations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Natural flavors in seltzer are concentrated essences or extracts derived from real edible sources such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, and even animal products. These are added in small, precise amounts to achieve the desired taste.

Yes, most flavored seltzers are significantly healthier than traditional sodas. They are typically calorie-free and sugar-free, using flavor essences instead of sweeteners, making them a better hydration choice.

Yes, you can make your own flavored seltzer by adding ingredients like fruit slices, fresh herbs, or homemade syrups (shrubs) to plain carbonated water. This method provides natural flavor with full control over the ingredients.

Seltzers may contain citric acid to add a tart flavor, similar to that found in lemons and limes. It also serves a practical purpose as a preservative, helping to extend the product's shelf life.

The main difference is the source of carbonation and minerals. Seltzer is plain water artificially carbonated with injected CO2 and no added minerals. Sparkling water typically comes from a natural spring or well and contains naturally occurring minerals, which give it a different flavor profile.

Most plain flavored seltzers (like those from LaCroix or Bubly) do not contain sweeteners, which is why they are often zero-calorie. However, some brands might add artificial sweeteners like aspartame or sucralose, so it's always best to check the ingredients list.

Flavor essences are typically extracted through physical methods that separate the flavor compounds from the raw ingredient. Common methods include steam distillation (used for herbs) and cold pressing (used for citrus peels).