soft drink

So called in contrast to strong alcoholic beverages, which are "hard liquors".

soft drink (plural soft drinks)

1. Any carbonated, usually sweet, non-alcoholic drink. (In this sense, juice, milk, tea and coffee are not soft drinks.)
2. (broadly speaking) Any non-alcoholic drink.

• hard liquor

• coke (most common term in the Southeastern US)[1][2]
• fizzy drink
• lemonade
• pop (most common term in Canada and the upper West and upper Midwest of the US, including western WI, most of IL including Chicago, MI, IN, OH, WV and western PA)[1][2]
• soda (most common term in HI, CA, eastern MO, southwestern IL, eastern WI and New England)[1][2]
• soda pop
• See also Thesaurus:soft drink

• cola