How to Make Homemade Soda That’s Tastier and Better for You

4 glasses of different homemade sodas and a bottle of seltzer — Credit:
Burcu Avsar

If you’re sick of scouring soda labels to decipher different sweeteners or just want a little more freshness in your bubbly beverage, consider making your own. Homemade soda has endless possibilities, and you get to control what goes into your drink, including the type of sweetener and how much you use. It also allows you to get creative and mix up flavors you can't find at the store. We spoke to recipe developer Andrea Lynn, who loves homemade soda so much she wrote a book about it. She gave us the lowdown on getting started in the world of making your own.

Andrea Lynn, recipe developer and author of Fizz: 70+ Homemade Artisan Sodas

A Brief History of Soda

Soda making dates back to the late 18th century, when carbonation was added to beverages beyond beer. Soda water was the first type of carbonated water, made by adding acids and bases, including sodium salt, to water to generate carbon dioxide bubbles. By the 1780s, Jacob Schweppes (yes, that Schweppes) commercialized the process and began selling fizzy water and bottled soda in Europe. Soon, soda reached the United States, and brands like Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and Dr. Pepper became popular by the late 19th century.

Soda Fountains

Soda’s long legacy may overshadow its artisan origins, but until recent decades, soda fountains across America were known for mixing syrups with carbonated water to create house sodas. In fact, many fountain sodas today are created this way, with mass-produced flavored syrup mixed with carbonated water before it is dispensed into your cup.

Why Make Soda at Home?

It's easy to make soda at home. All you need are two key ingredients: Sparkling water (either purchased or made in an at-home carbonator) and syrup. Making your own soda lets you control the sugar content and type of sweetener, whether it’s cane sugar, coconut sugar, agave, honey, or whatever you prefer.

If you want to drink less store-bought soda, homemade options are a gentle alternative to going cold turkey. It's also a great alternative to boozy drinks. Homemade soda can be a nice alternative to alcohol or an ingredient with which you can build a cocktail or even a mocktail, says Lynn, who embraced soda making after giving up alcohol.

It's a blank canvas for creativity, Lynn notes. "I was on a quest for something delicious that was a little bit unique,” she adds, noting that homemade syrups are so versatile. Rather than being bound by the flavors on offer at the store, you can make custom syrups combining your favorite flavors—and experiment with unexpected combinations.

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How to Make Syrups for Soda

A childhood fan of Sonic, which is known for its highly customizable soft drinks, Lynn was inspired by the ability to play with flavors in soda making. Her recipes include syrups for a cherry limeade soda, inspired by a Sonic favorite, plus dessert-inspired nostalgic flavors, like orange creamsicle. Sodas can also be inspired by favorite foods, like Lynn’s chili mango syrup and tomato water syrup.

Reducing: Lynn explains that making syrups can be as easy as simmering and reducing drinks, like apple cider for an apple cider syrup or concord grape juice to make a concord grape syrup. “Boil about 2 to 3 cups of juice until it reduces to a half cup, which usually takes 10–15 minutes depending on the juice,” says Lynn.

Making your own combinations: You can also start from scratch, making syrups with fresh fruits, chiles, spices, herbs, and even vegetables. The process is similar to making a flavored simple syrup. The ratio of one cup water to one cup sweetener is ideal to start with before adding herbs and flavors. Lynn recommends using a potato masher to smash all the ingredients into the syrup. Once everything is cooked, you’ll want to strain the syrup using a fine mesh strainer and let it cool before using.

No-cook options: “Citrus-based syrups—orange, lemon-lime, grapefruit—are often mixed with their juice and zest and sit in the fridge to let the zest infuse before straining,” says Lynn. “Not every syrup hits the stovetop, but nearly all need either simmering or resting and infusing to develop flavor.”

Grapefruit Syrup Recipe

Lynn shared a no-cook citrus syrup with us. She says grapefruit lovers enjoy the tangy tartness, which comes through when the syrup is infused with the zest of the grapefruit.

Ingredients

Grated zest of 1 grapefruit
Juice of 1 grapefruit (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons agave syrup

Method

In a nonreactive container, like a 2-cup Mason jar, combine the grapefruit zest and juice. Stir in the agave to combine. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
Run the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl to remove the zest. Refrigerate the syrup in a covered container for up to 7 days.

How to Make Soda With Homemade Syrups

Once the syrup has cooled, it’s added to seltzer, stirred, and the soda is ready to serve over ice or used in a cocktail, mocktail, or ice cream float. The amount of syrup you need is a matter of personal preference and the potency of the syrup. It depends on the size of glass you're using—Lynn suggests starting with 2 tablespoons for 10 ounces (1 1/4 cups) seltzer.

Syrups for homemade soda should be kept in a sealed container or jar in the refrigerator. They will last for up to a week.

Using Extra Syrup (When You Don't Want Soda)

Homemade soda syrups have uses beyond creating sparkling beverages.

“Drizzle it over yogurt or ice cream, or stir syrup into warm oatmeal, overnight oats, and chia seed pudding,” says Lynn. “Sometimes I’ll add a syrup to an iced tea or stir it into my coffee in the morning.” Anything you want to sweeten can be sweetened with homemade flavored syrups for a little extra zing.