On trial: Sage InFizz Fusion fizzy drinks maker

I’m one of those people who wilts a little inside when they accidentally buy sparkling water on holiday. Many a disappointment has led me to believe that I’m the only English-speaking man in the Western world to know how to say ‘still water’ in 12 different languages. Stilles Wasser in Germany, agua sin gas for our Spanish-speaking friends.

But what about sparkling water? Sparkling water is disappointing in every language. At least, it was until now. That’s where the Sage InFizz Fusion comes in, Sage’s first step into the world of fizzy beverages.

The Sage InFizz Fusion is a carbonated beverage maker that goes beyond just sparkling water, allowing you to infuse fizz into DIY sodas, add sparkle to fruit juices, liven up homemade cocktails and even re-fizz sparkling wine.

Along with a one-litre bottle and the machine itself, the InFizz includes the Fusion Cap for carbonation control, a stainless steel cap for easy storage and a funnel to avoid spillages. There’s also a sieve to help remove pulp from fruit-based fizzes. My favourite bit of kit is the cleaning brushes – they’re robust, do the job fantastically and show that attention to detail you’d expect from Sage.

I wanted to feel like a mad scientist, toiling with his latest contraption, ultimately culminating with an evil laugh upon assembling it all together, ready to make a bubbly creation. The reality is, after unboxing, you simply lock in your gas canister (sold separately), clean the bottle with the brush provided and you’re good to go.

Pour your beverage of choice into the bottle using the funnel, screw the FusionCap on and lock it into the machine. Then by pressing on the top lever, the magic of carbonation is unleashed. The genius in the design of the FusionCap is that it gives you ultimate control over the release of CO2, so you can opt for fast or slow, depending on what you’re making.

It’s beautiful. While it may give off space-age vibes and it certainly wouldn’t look out of place on a James Cameron film set, this is incredibly simple to operate and Sage’s decision to opt for standard 60-litre gas canisters makes for easy refills.

Released in five colours – brushed stainless steel, black truffle, sea salt (white), damson blue and noir – there’s a style to suit all kitchens, because let’s face it, when something looks as good as the InFizz Fusion, you won’t want to hide it in a cupboard. No, this belongs on a kitchen counter but would look equally at home in a garden bar.

I started where any child would: lemonade. However, I must admit I had an ulterior motive. The lemonade I created was merely the base of a much bigger and tastier picture – or should I say pitcher? With a little triple sec and a dash of whiskey, you can have lemonade Lynchburg-style. And this is where I fell in love with the Infizz Fusion. Store-bought soft drinks and mixers often contain unpronounceable additives and sweeteners that completely change the taste of a cocktail or mixed drink. With the ability to create your own mixer, you not only take complete control of the flavour profile of a drink, but you can also manage sugar levels without having to compromise on taste.

My next experiment was a little left-field. I wanted to know if one could successfully fizz the de-fizzed. This research allowed me to get to the bottom of a well-trodden argument that arises during family get-togethers – I’m talking about the superfluous spoon in the prosecco bottle that supposedly keeps the bubbles alive. It’s a myth, a lie that Big Spoon has been selling us for years. But you can reintroduce bubbles with InFizz sorcery. With a few presses of the InFizz Fusion, I was able to give new life to day-old prosecco.

My experiments didn’t end here. Not to be robbed of my mad scientist moment, I had a notion. Could store-bought wine be infused with bubbles to create sparkling wine? The answer is a resounding yes. Thanks to the InFizz Fusion and with the help of the Fusion Cap I created my version of the popular sparkling French bubbly.

I’ve found the possibilities with the InFizz Fusion to be endless. Instant sparkling cocktails, health-conscious mixers and sodas without additives are all a few spritzes away. So what’s next for this mad scientist? I’ll be making my way through the rest of Sage’s recipe inspirations starting with the cucumber and jalapeño fizzy margarita. ★★★★★