DIY Soda: 3 Methods to Homemade Fizz
If you love sweet, fizzy soda pop but are leery of high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners, take heart! Soda wasn’t always made with chemical additives, after all. In fact, it’s refreshingly easy to make your own bubbly drinks, flavored just the way you like them!
Starting with a flavor base—more on that below—there are three basic methods to fizzing up your drink.
1. Just Add Soda Water
So simple, you’ll kick yourself for not trying it sooner. If you’re not a big soda drinker, just buy club soda and add it to your drink. If you plan on doing this frequently, pick up a Sodastream and make your own carbonated water in a reusable bottle.
2. Inject The Fizz
For daily soda drinkers or those who like lots of fresh fizz, a soda siphon with CO2 chargers is the best route. Just add water to your flavor syrup until it tastes just the way you like it, then inject your glass with bubbles! Warning: This method is extremely fun.
3. Brew Your Own
For the hardcore DIYers, and anybody who likes complex flavors like root beer. Yes, you can brew your own soda using yeast, just like you would brew beer! Check out this handy video: How To Make Your Own Soda on Howcast
Also, try this homebrewed probiotic ginger beer for a tasty soda that’s actually good for you!
Flavor Base Ideas
This is where you can be creative. Start with simple syrups and expand to muddled fruit and herbs, fresh juice and anything else you can think of! Try these simple syrup ideas from The Huffington Post, and these more complex homemade soda recipes from The Washington Post: bitter lemon and bay leaf soda, orange honey and ginger ale, backyard blackberry soda, sparkling watermelon. YUM.
Image: Laura Padgett
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