THERE'S A LOT OF (ORGANIC) CREATIVITY TO BE HAD, WITH THE SODA PRESS CO

Everyone loves a cold drink in summer, a cocktail on a girls night out, and sometimes nothing tastes better than a cheeky milkshake for the juniors.

Our friends at Soda Press Co, with their selection of handcrafted low sugar and certified organic flavourings, deliver all three. Their flavour range comprises of your beloved classics, right through to new creations that will - dare we say it - tickle your fancy. All work with Sodastream, and are ideal for cocktails, mixers and cold drinks as well as hot one; they are also perfect for having fun creating popsicles, slushies and milkshakes. One bottle makes 17 drinks, so there's a whole lot of (organic) creativity to be had.

Did we mention that they are also part of the Plastic Pollution Coalition?

Every recyclable bottle of Soda Press saves up to 10 plastic bottles being produced and dumped. That's pretty awesome, if we don't say so ourselves. Especially when being aware of our plastic consumption and re-use is highlighted in society, more so than ever.

Recently we spoke to Cam, Owner and Founder of Soda Press Co. A foodie at heart, Cam chats to us about being Certified Organic, and why single use plastics just don't make sense anymore ....

[TLSE] How did your passion to find a healthier and better tasting syrup, lead you to where you are now?

[CAM] I had a long history in advertising across NZ, UK, China and Australia, understanding consumers, their behaviours, and their drivers. It became clear that consumers wanted healthier products, and that they were not just talking about it but were beginning to act on it. It was also clear that the large brands and food corporations were either unable or unwilling to adapt to satisfy this need, they had too much invested in the status quo.

I’m a foodie at heart and I love experimenting. It wasn’t long before I was concocting syrups at home in my kitchen and developing a range of flavours. Whilst the flavour creations developed easily and naturally (it was actually loads of fun), it was more challenging to find a manufacturer prepared to make commercial batches of syrup to an old fashioned recipe. But, my persistence paid off and we are now producing and shipping syrups across Australia and New Zealand. All our flavours are certified organic. This ensures we have the best tasting syrups on the market, and it truly supports what we stand for: better for you, and better for the environment.

With more people refusing single plastic, how does your product appeal to customers in a time where going plastic free, is gaining strong social momentum?

You know, I read a great quote the other day: ‘ “It’s only one plastic straw”, said 8 billion people…’.

The use of single serve plastics just doesn’t make sense any more, and people increasingly understand this. People are now thinking twice before before they drink from plastic, and they’re asking more questions. At the moment most aren’t aware of the alternatives, or are frustrated they are not on offer. As a dilutable syrup, Soda Press needs less packaging. In fact, every recyclable glass Soda Press bottle saves up to 10 plastic soda bottles being produced and dumped. We know that the production of plastic bottles uses large amounts of oil, energy and produces carbon emissions. Even those that make it to recycling require much more energy and carbon than recycling glass. We are proud that Soda Press does not use any plastics, in fact we can’t stand plastic and we want to help end plastic pollution. That’s why we’re members of the Plastic Pollution Coalition. Think before you drink, people!

There are various popular syrups currently on the market. What aspect of your product do you think appeals to your customers?

Sure, there are other syrups on the market, but most include a tonne of sugar, artificial flavours, colours or sweeteners and flavour enhancers. But people’s tolerance for sugar is dropping fast as education grows. They’re demanding something better, something healthier and that’s where Soda Press steps up..

Soda Press is an certified organic product squarely aimed at more health-conscious consumers looking for superior alternatives to sickly sweet cocktails and uninspiring non-alcoholic drinks. We have 8 flavours in the range, from Pink Grapefruit to Liquorice & Lemongrass, Classic Indian Tonic to a world first Blonde Cola, all with less than 5g per 100ml of sugar, which is 40-50% less than most soda syrups on the market. We’ve been tireless with our product development and innovative with the use of brown rice syrup and asian monk fruit to achieve an optimal level of sweetness, avoiding nasties like Stevia.

We’re super proud of our product, which has been recognised with several food awards in Australia, NZ and further afield internationally. Importantly, we have a solid base of regular and loyal consumers, and it’s not unusual for many of them to have two or three flavours on the go at a time with their SodaStream (sometimes the only way to satisfy all family members!)

Why is the sustainability of your product, so important to your customers and the Soda Press brand?

A well-worn statement, that should never become tired, is that ‘We only have one planet’. The fact is we can all do better to look after ourselves, each other, and the environment. We know that every little change counts, and for Soda Press if we can create a classic G&T as a beautiful mid-summer’s drink, using organic, naturally produced ingredients, reducing the amount of plastic bottles produced and working towards a carbon-neutral production process, then we think we’re helping that step change.

What's next, for Soda Press? What do you hope for the company in years to come?

At the heart of it is to connect with more people, raising awareness of Soda Press and how our products harmonise so perfectly with SodaStream, and to tell our story of better syrups that are also better for the environment. That is what we loved so much about being part of the Winter Design Fair at Precinct 75; we had the chance to sample great drinks to genuinely interested people, and to share the story we love telling. This allows us to challenge what people think they know, and to offer them inspiring alternatives.

We’re excited and curious about what the future holds. We’re creating new flavours and formats which we’d like to bring to market over the coming months, and we plan to expand our export business to some new markets too. It’s all happening for Soda Press!

So, what are our favourite recipes?

Here's just two of the many great recipes of drinks to be made with Soda Press.

VIRGIN RASPBERRY MINT MOJITO

A fresh twist on a classic you can’t live without. This virgin raspberry mint mojito is the perfect balance of tart and sweet, and if you’re feeling a little cheeky, add 30ml’s of white rum which goes quite nicely too………….

Ingredients

20 ml of fresh lime juice

15 ml of Soda Press Co. Raspberry & Mint syrup

¼ of a fresh lime, cubed

10 fresh mint leaves

60 ml of soda water

Method

IN a tumbler, add lime juice, syrup, lime cubes and mint leaves.

MUDDLE gently.

NOW fill the tumbler with a handful of ice,

TOP with soda water and stir.

GARNISH with fresh raspberries and mint leaves.

SODA PRESS CUBA LIBRE

What’s not to love about the classic, simple yet delicious national Cuban drink, the Cuba Libre. Blonde cola, dark rum and lime……it’s the simple things in life right!?

Ingredients

30 ml of dark rum

30 ml of Soda Press Co. Blonde Cola syrup

200ml sparkling water

½ fresh lime, cut into wedges

Method

FILL a long glass with ice and

SQUEEZE two wedges of lime over the top,

FOLLOWED BY the dark rum, blonde cola syrup and

TOPPED OFF with sparkling water.

STIR gently and

ENJOY garnished with a wedge of lime!

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Head to Soda Press Co to learn more, and to find your favourite syrup; and to try them in person, find the Soda Press team at Precinct 75's Spring Design Fair on Saturday September 1st.