Sweet, bubbly, and refreshing, there’s nothing like an ice-cold soft drink on a hot day. Whether it’s the fizz, the sugar rush, or the dopamine release with each sip, soda is a deeply rooted part of Western food culture. And fortunately, it’s always accessible.

We all know that drinking soda daily isn’t healthy. The high sugar content in soft drinks is primarily responsible for links to diabetes, obesity, heart disease, tooth decay, and increased risks of dementia and cancer. Sadly, choosing the diet version doesn’t significantly improve your health.

So, what should a soda lover do? The solution lies in making your own healthy fizzy drinks at home!

Homemade vs. Store-Bought Soda

A typical store-bought soda contains 140 calories, 39 grams of sugar, 34 milligrams of caffeine, and 45 milligrams of sodium. It’s also made with phosphoric acid that gives soda its tanginess but can reduce calcium in your body, leading to decreased bone mass density.

Dark sodas like cola and root beer contain caramel color, an artificial coloring that includes 4-methylimidazole, linked to an increased cancer risk. There’s also benzene, a carcinogen formed in soft drinks containing benzoate salts and ascorbic acid when exposed to heat or light. Although the FDA states the benzene levels in sodas are low, most scientists agree no level of carcinogen exposure is truly safe.

The term “natural flavors” on a label is vague, encompassing any ingredients derived from or synthesized from natural sources. It can include anything from a mix of 50 to 100 ingredients – some of which might be quite surprising.

Making soda at home, on the other hand, gives you full control. You can choose your sweeteners, natural ingredients, and adjust recipes to your liking. Plus, using reusable bottles significantly cuts down on waste.

The Basics of Homemade Soda

To start making your own soda, you’ll need four main components:

Carbonation:
For bubbly drinks, you need carbonated water. Investing in a good soda maker or soda siphon is a good idea, but you can also create fizzy water at home using methods like dry ice, yeast, ginger bug, or a mix of baking soda and vinegar. Initially, you might opt for store-bought soda water, and once confident, explore more sustainable carbonation methods.

Flavors:
Using genuine natural flavors is part of the fun. Keep a variety of herbs, fruits, spices, extracts, and food-grade essential oils to experiment with different flavor combinations. You’ll also need an acid to balance sweet and sour. Some examples include:
– Fruits: Berries, pineapples, peaches, oranges
– Herbs & Spices: Ginger, mint, celery seed, cinnamon
– Acids: Lemon juice, lime juice, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar
– Extracts: Vanilla, chocolate, almond

Sweeteners:
Most homemade soda recipes involve heating white sugar to make a flavored syrup. For healthier options, try natural sweeteners like raw honey, stevia, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and blackstrap molasses. These add beneficial antioxidants and allow you to control sweetness levels.

Bottles:
While you can make soda by the glass, making larger batches is more efficient. Reusable 16-ounce glass bottles with rubber gaskets are perfect. Be sure to sterilize bottles before use.

Homemade Soda Recipes

Here are some soda syrup recipes to get you started. Add them to chilled soda water for best results. The more syrup you mix with carbonated water, the stronger the flavor.

1. Cola:
To make cola syrup, you’ll need the zest and juice of a lemon, lime, and two oranges, cinnamon sticks, coriander seed, grated nutmeg, vanilla extract, bitter orange peel, with optional gum arabic and browning sauce for color. For an alternative, use essential oils instead of fresh ingredients.

2. Ginger Ale:
Simmer fresh ginger on the stove and let it steep for full flavor. Just combine fresh ginger, lime juice, water, sweetener, and seltzer.

3. Lime Soda:
Simmer lime juice and rind with a sweetener until reduced. Mix with seltzer for a refreshing drink.

4. Root Beer:
For root beer, use sarsaparilla root and bark, burdock root, cinnamon sticks, star anise, licorice root, vanilla beans, and orange zest. It also calls for brewer’s yeast for carbonation.

5. Cream Soda:
For traditional vanilla cream soda, all you need is heavy cream and vanilla extract. Instructions for raspberry and orange cream sodas are included too.

6. Grape Soda:
Blend approximately three pounds of red seedless grapes and fresh ginger. This mixture naturally carbonates for a delicious purple drink.

7. Orange Soda:
Mix freshly squeezed orange juice, orange zest, lime zest, and honey for a simple, clean orange soda.

8. Kiwi Soda:
Blend kiwis, lime juice, and agave nectar. Top with soda water for a refreshing drink.

9. Coffee Soda:
For a unique twist, mix brewed coffee (or a shot of espresso) with sweetened syrup and seltzer.

10. Cucumber, Mint & Basil Soda:
Steep fresh cucumbers, mint leaves, and basil leaves in sweetened syrup for 30 minutes. Combine with soda water for a cool drink.

Need more ideas? There are countless unique variations to try and enjoy!