Carefully slice the vanilla beans in half lengthwise, from tip to tip, and scrape the tiny seeds into a small saucepan, adding the halved vanilla beans as well. Add the water and granulated sugar.

If the only thing soda was good for was being a sugar delivery system, we wouldn’t have so many types of it, nor would we have such strong allegiances to particular brands. Sure, the bottled stuff ...

Rhode Islanders are naturally open-minded to unique beverages after growing up on Del’s Lemonade and coffee milk, one dirty soda entrepreneur says.