Frequently Asked Questions

Our bag-in-box products are intended for use with a commercial soda fountain machine / bar-gun systems, but may also be used with consumer soda systems such as SodaStream. To extract syrup for use with consumer soda systems (e.g. SodaStream), you will need to use a bag-in-box (BiB) connector coupled with a tap valve. To determine which connector type is needed (e.g. Coca-Cola or Encore/QCD), refer to our product page for your particular syrup.

Coca-Cola Adapter with Tap Valve:

Encore Adapter with Tap Valve:

QCD-II Adapter with Tap Valve:

Water-to-syrup mix ratios are typically between 1:4 and 1:5, but vary by product depending on whether the syrup is a juice, diet soda, regular soda, etc. To determine the proper mix ratio for your particular beverage syrup, refer to our product page for that syrup. If you cannot find the mix ratio, please contact us at TasteTeam@TheTasteTrade.com and we will be happy to assist.

The number of servings yielded by a bag-in-box (BiB) syrup depends on both the size of the BiB and the recommended water-to-syrup mix ratio. For the number of servings yielded by a particular syrup, refer to our product page for that syrup. If you cannot find the number of servings yielded, please contact us at TasteTeam@TheTasteTrade.com and we will be happy to assist. 

Many soda / beverage bag-in-box (BiB) syrups contain an "Enjoy By" date printed on the label. These dates do not represent expiration dates, but rather the target consumption date for maintaining optimal flavor and color. Please note that the age of the syrup does not affect its safety, as long as the integrity of the container is maintained, and the syrup is not exposed to impurities.

To ensure the longevity of the syrup's optimal taste and color, it is recommended that syrups be stored indoors at a temperature between 40 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit, out of direct sunlight. Please note that diet and zero-sugar flavors particularly more susceptible to flavor degradation due to heat.

Note that most syrups, which are intended for commercial use, are manufactured with an “Enjoy By” date occurring 75-120 days from the date of manufacture, depending on the specific flavor. While popular flavors are often delivered with 60 or more days remaining before their "Best By" date, we guarantee that all syrups will be delivered with no fewer than 40 days remaining before their "Best By" date.

If you have any questions regarding the "Best By" date for a particular product, or the "Enjoy By" dates for our existing inventory, please email us at TasteTeam@TheTasteTrade.com and we will be happy to provide you with the information needed to make an informed purchase.

SLUSH PUPPiE slushies consist of two components: a base, and a flavor.

The base (also called "neutral base") is a concentrated syrup that is mixed with water and then poured into a slush machine (such as those made by Stoelting, CAB, Ugolini, Bunn, etc.). After approximately 20-30 minutes of refrigeration in the slush machine, the neutral base/water mixture will form a sweet, but unflavored slush.

To create a slushie, flavor is then poured into a serving cup, and the neutral base slush is dispensed from the machine into the serving cup, on top of the flavor. The velocity of the slush coming out of the machine will mix the flavor within the cup.

• Note: Flavor alone has a tart taste, but when properly mixed with neutral base, creates a sweet and flavorful slushie.
• See below in the FAQ for recommended flavor serving sizes.

For customers wanting ready-to-consume slushies dispensed from their slush machines, flavored bases are also available. Flavored bases are pre-mixed concentrates containing both neutral base AND flavor. Simply mix the flavored base with water, add the mixture to your slush machine, and you'll have ready-to-use flavored slushies in a matter of minutes!

Be sure to shop our wide variety of both flavors and bases.

Flavors are separated from neutral base and poured directly into serving cups to give customers greater flexibility in their flavor choices. Given that most slush machines only have 1 or 2 two bowls, if flavors and bases were mixed together, customers could only have 1 or 2 flavors at a time.

By only placing neutral base in the slush machine and adding flavor directly to the serving cups, customers may enjoy a variety of unique flavors without having to empty the slush machine to change flavors.

Figure 1 below shows a slush machine with neutral base (left) and Blue Raspberry flavored base (right). The neutral base must be dispensed into a serving cup pre-filled with flavor (dispensed from a squirt bottle, as shown in Figure 2), while the Blue Raspberry flavored base is ready to consume as-is when dispensed from the machine.

Figure 1: Slush machine

Figure 2: Flavor squirt bottles

Both neutral base and flavored base concentrates should be mixed with water at a ratio of 1:5. This means that for every 1 part base concentrate, add 5 parts water.

Example: Mix 1 gallon of flavored base concentrate with 5 gallons of water, creating a total of 6 gallons of ready-to-use flavored base.

A three-gallon case of base properly mixed with water at a ratio of 1 part concentrate + 5 parts water yields approximately:

• 9 fl oz drinks: 256
• 12 fl oz drinks: 192
• 16 fl oz drinks: 144
• 24 fl oz drinks: 96

A half gallon of flavor yields approximately 64 squirts (approximately 1 fl oz each), or enough flavor for the following:

• 9 fl oz drinks: 64 (1 squirt each)
• 12 fl oz drinks: 32 (2 squirts each)
• 16 fl oz drinks: 32 (2 squirts each)
• 24 fl oz drinks: 16 (4 squirts each)

Nearly all products in our catalog are regularly stocked within our warehouse and ready to ship within 1 business day, due to arrive 2-5 days after placing your order. Although we do our best to ship all orders within this time frame, global pandemics, supply chain disruptions, surging demand, and even severe weather can throw a wrench into plans.

Nonetheless, we understand that our products are critical inputs to the success of many restaurants, bars, venues, and other businesses. If your product is needed imminently, please reply to your order confirmation e-mail and let us know the date by which the product is needed, and we will do our best to ensure your order is expedited. If there are any foreseen challenges in meeting your required delivery date, we will let you know as soon as possible.

We make every effort to package and ship orders soon after they are received to ensure that your products arrive as soon as possible. As a result, any changes to your order (including address changes, product changes, or cancellations) must be requested as soon as possible after your order has been placed. We'll do our best to accommodate your request, but cannot guarantee any changes will be able to be made after your order has been placed.

If you need to make a change to your order, please contact us as soon as possible by emailing us at TasteTeam@TheTasteTrade.com.

For details regarding our returns policy, please refer to our Returns Policy page.

If you have any questions regarding the policy or a request for a return/refund, please email us at TasteTeam@TheTasteTrade.com.