Ending a drought spanning several generations, craft soda is being made on the Oregon Coast again.

The once-thriving Astoria Soda Works is a distant memory, but a revival of sorts is underway. Breweries hoping to expand their customer base are increasingly turning to the sweet, bubbly treat.

Pelican Brewing based in Pacific City recently expanded its soda lineup to three, as has Public Coast Brewing in Cannon Beach. Sisu Brewing in Seaside offers two sodas and is planning a third.

At each of those breweries, the branching out began with a classic hand-made root beer and went from there. Today, sales of artisanal soda are so brisk, brewers are struggling to meet demand.

“We can’t make enough,” said Will Leroux, head brewer at Public Coast. “I always say, give the people what they want. … Sodas are huge right now.”

What’s fueling the trend?

Part of the answer lies in a growing thirst for craft beverages beyond beer.

While small-batch soda made by breweries is more expensive than mass-produced supermarket brands, the ingredients are superior – with pure cane sugar and honey instead of high-fructose corn syrup, and real fruit or natural extracts replacing artificial flavors and colors.

Another driver is a flattening of craft beer sales that has prompted many breweries to introduce other beverages, including non-alcoholic options like sparkling hop water and non-alcoholic beers.

Soda appeals to children and adult non-drinkers. For designated drivers, it’s another sober alternative.

Leroux said he questioned devoting precious brewhouse space to soda at first, but has since come to embrace the expanded taplist. In March, the brewery added an orange cream. Blueberry cream, made with farm-fresh fruit, is coming in July.

The soda bet seems to be paying off. Public Coast’s award-winning root beer is so popular, it’s become the brewery’s No. 2 seller, topped only by Coastal Haze IPA.

Pelican, which started with root beer and cream soda, recently released a marionberry soda, signaling a desire to experiment.

With root beer and cream soda also on tap, Sisu plans to add a ginger beer or orange cream next.

“The market is kind of dictating it,” said Sisu head brewer Nick Nelson. “It’s just one more piece to add to our repertoire to drive people in.”

There are other advantages. Craft soda is cheaper and easier to make than beer, and requires far less tank time: two or three days versus several weeks at a minimum. To create soda, the sugar base and flavor ingredients are mixed with water, then chilled, carbonated and kegged.

With the staples largely out of the way, soda fans can expect a wave of bold new recipes and seasonal releases.

Meanwhile, craft soda sales continue to grow. The global market was valued at $674 million in 2023 and is projected to top $1 billion by 2033, according to a report from Allied Market Research.

Riding that wave is an Astoria entrepreneur who aims to launch a craft soda company later this year.

A former downtown dairy is being converted into a retro soda palace that will have the bubbly beverages on tap. Customers seated at the counter will even be able to pick their favorite flavors and watch the drink get made in front of them, using a unique carbonation-injection method.

Dan Salenski, the owner and soda maker, is turning a barn on his Clatsop County property into a small factory. It should be operational this fall, he said.

Envisioning an all-ages gathering spot, Salenski is well into the Sunflower Dairy remodel on Duane Street. He’s named the business Mad Science Soda, which seems appropriate given his desire to test boundaries.

“I’m going to focus on odd flavors,” he said with a grin. “There are endless combinations.”

He rattled off a few. Cherry Bacon was one of them.

William Dean is an author who also writes about craft beer and the people who make it. His blog is Astoria Beer Zone. “The Have-Nots,” his latest novel, is available now.