Pop goes the culture--ringing in the new age of soda.

RECENTLY I WAS INVITED TO R birthday party in the Berkshires hosted by Chef J. Bryce Whittlesey of Wheatleigh. It was a casual affair. There was a sheet cake with four candles. A table with enough chairs for 15. Presents. Even games. Not until the ride back into the NYC metropolitan area, did I think about what I didn't see. Absent were any 2 liter soda bottles with neon orange or lime green liquid. No aluminum cans bobbing in a cooler of melting ice. Not a one. Instead, the cake was accompanied by discreet plastic containers holding a distinct alternative beverage--hibiscus flower water. No sugar. No carbonation. No added coloring. Here, in southern New England, Tyler, turned four-years, was redefining a new beverage generation.

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Indeed, "The Pepsi"--and all other soda, pop or cola "generations" have a captive audience. Carbonated beverages are the staff of life in the United States. The average American consumes 56 gallons of soda pop per year. That's 10 teaspoons of sugar per can. And get this: a heaping 5,973 (56 gal X 128 oz = 7,168 oz; 7,168 divided by 12 oz (per can) = 597.33 cans; 597.33 X 10 tsp (per can) = 5973 tsp) teaspoons of sugar--just from soft drinks.

But, of course, this is hardly breaking news. What has much more appeal is the response by the National Soft Drink Association (NSDA) in Washington DC. They stock their media archives full of specially-selected press releases aimed at dismissing any negativity about the industry, or channeling any criticism of them in another direction. Just read these NSDA headlines for an effervescent jolt and some spin:

'Purdue studies on rats and low-cal sweeteners rehashed old ideas that have been discredited in scientific literature.'

'... Soft drinks not linked to decreased calcium intake.'

'Dental erosion study not applicable to real life situations; scientific evidence on multiple causes and protective factors ignored.'

Perhaps the media campaign would better focus their time on the new changing and challenging face of the industry. It's the alternative natural beverage and it's in a restaurant and food emporium near you--like The French Laundry, Dean & Deluca or Balducci's.

The surge comes not from man-made ingredients, but from an all natural line-up. Like pure fruit juice. Cane sugar. Or alternative ingredients like clementine, gingerroot or Meyer lemon. But the carbonation is the same--so is the fizz. Just knock off the top and see for yourself.

What's ironic is that the soda industry has come full circle. The original intent of the very first carbonated "waters" was to focus on good health. Spontaneous carbonation or bubbles that sprung from natural mineral springs were believed to relieve common ailments with their tonic properties. How brilliant to replicate those bubbles with carbon dioxide, the odorless and colorless gas! That, when combined with water (under pressure), gives off a taste experience all its own. A few steps further--coloring, flavoring and fragrance, moves as far away from the original aim as imaginable. Joseph Priestly, an English chemist and clergyman invented the first glass of artificially carbonated soda using carbon dioxide collected over vats of fermenting beer.

Several small beverage companies are changing all that, bringing back the secret ingredient missing for years: care.

Art Culinaire spoke with Todd Woloson, founder and chief executive officer of Boulder, Colorado-based IZZE Beverage Co. "We wanted to create a product that had the natural benefits of real fruit and not just be a company that adds more stuff to base liquid. We initially looked to Europe for a healthier, more sophisticated fizzy drink, but didn't find anything. We didn't anticipate that we'd appeal to both finicky kids and discriminating chefs." Todd says Charlie Trotter even keeps it in his refrigerator at home!

So Todd partnered with friend Greg Stroh, a member of the Stroh's beer family, to concoct a drink made solely of fruit juice and carbonated water. Now, IZZE comes in several flavors--sparkling clementine, blueberry, blackberry, grapefruit, pear and lemon--combining 70 percent fruit juice with 30 percent sparkling water.

"We don't call it soda pop. We call it Nutra Fusion Gourmet. Basically that means a healthy and higher quality product. Today, the market is dominated by red, two browns, neon green and blue." He refers to the large cola makers. "But we wanted to create a quality differentiation."

Fruit juice is filled with all kinds of essential vitamins and nutrients. A bottle of IZZE is actually equal to a serving of fruit based on the USDA food guide pyramid.

But for IZZE, there's more to their business than building a beverage and a brand. Todd and Greg support the Global Education Fund. It's at the heart of the company. "We're trying to create a foundation to support people's dreams. GEF is a non-profit, charitable organization that provides educational opportunities for underrepresented individuals throughout the world. Like right now, for instance, in California, we're working on a childcare facility that would allow mothers to go to school."

"We're trying to make the industry better. There's a huge difference between corporate responsibility and those who really care about issues. Coke gives plenty of money to literacy, but it's not an integral part of their brand."

We asked Mr. Woloson which direction he sees the soft drink industry going. "The news is out--high fructose corn syrup is really bad. The body digests it much differently than natural sugars. There's been so much press on it lately. There's a big shift toward products with no refined sugars or additives. Not only that, but we want to go a mile deeper with producers--to work with farmers to emulate the fair trade for coffee notion--but with juice."

Woloson isn't the only new age beverage producer changing the industry, so is Steve Hersh, co-founder of GuS--or 'Grown-up Soda.' Steve returned our call while up at the GuS bottling plant in Wooster, Massachusetts. In 2003, Steve was hankering for a beverage that was not laden with sugar.

"I was 37 and I'd outgrown Mountain Dew and Snapple. But I wanted something not so dull and lifeless like seltzers and waters. And flavored seltzers just didn't do it for me either. That was really the genesis of the whole thing."

Steve and his wife started doing "in-home studies" on Steve's poker friends. "What you can glean from a group of 10 people is just as effective as running a major marketing study." GuS prefers cane sugar, it is 1/3-2/3 less sweet than a typical soda and offers up flavors like Extra Dry Ginger Ale, Dry Valencia Orange or Dry Meyer Lemon. "We're a soda. We're not a juice. And we have no desire to suggest you can get your RDA requirements from us!"

"We don't horse GuS up with health claims. From marketing our product, we know that 30% of customers turn the bottle around, looking at the ingredient label. They do want to know what's inside. But there's an absence of negatives on our labels. GuS actually delivers what it says."

The Whole Foods[R] in the Time Warner Center in New York City has been a big boost for GuS. Paul Roberts, the sommelier at Per Se stops in for lunch most every day. One afternoon, Steve and his wife were doing a sampling demo when Paul walked up and said he was interested in trying out the product at Per Se. Says Steve, "Now the restaurant is using our orange and lemon on their cocktail menu!"

"The macro trend is an ingredient-conscious culture. People are more willing to try something new. Something that's less mainstream."

Speaking of less conventional, remember our young friend, Tyler? Days into his fifth year, Bryce sends me this update: "A new kick Tyler is on are the mint and grenadine syrups which are popular with kids in France and England and becoming more available here. I've tried almond syrup or fruit mixed with Perrier water. A great carbonated beverage."

Take this challenge, Pepsi.