Homemade Soda

Soda is a daily indulgence for some and an occasional treat for other, but no matter how often you have some of the sweet, bubbly beverage, you probably haven’t considered making your own soda at home. Sodas are actually very simple concoctions, consisting of a sweet, concentrated syrup that is cut with carbonated water to give it a light, bubbly, refreshing feel. Homemade Soda: 200 Recipes for Making & Using Fruit Sodas & Fizzy Juices, Sparkling Waters, Root Beers & Cola Brews, Herbal & Healing Waters, & Floats, & Other Carbonated Concoctions is a book dedicated to this subject, offering detailed instructions and a huge variety of recipes for making your own sodas at home.

You shouldn’t expect to find the secret recipe for Coke or for Pepsi in this book, but you can expect to find recipes for colas and root beers using all natural ingredients such as Cherry Cola and 7-Root Beer (which is made with actual root vegetables), as well as homemade versions of childhood favorites like Yoo-Hoo chocolate soda. The recipes really cover a huge range of flavors and types, so you’ll never get bored of the options and can easily learn how to apply your new soda-making knowledge to other ingredients to create your own flavors. The book first provides you with an overview of soda making equipment and common ingredients, like sweeteners, that you will need when making your own soda. You don’t need special equipment, but having things like soda siphon will come in handy if you plan on making a lot of soda. In addition to the drink recipes, there are also quite a few recipes that use the soda or syrups, such as Pork Shoulder Braised with Ginger Ale.

The book has a fun, retro feel to it that is meant to evoke memories of going to a soda fountain. The photos are vibrant and definitely make you feel like having a drink (of soda, of course) as you read through it. Some of the recipes require a little bit more of a time commitment to make than others, but making your own sodas is, overall, a very simple process. It is something that is easy to get started with and, once you’re making your own syrups with fresh fruits and natural ingredients, you’ll probably find that you’re doing it a lot more often.