Soft Drinks Recipe

Make simple syrup

Combine granulated sugar (180 g) and 120 ml water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves. Bring to a gentle simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in lemon zest and lime zest. Let steep for 10 minutes to extract oils, then strain solids out through a fine mesh sieve into a clean container.

Add fresh lemon juice (30 ml), fresh lime juice (15 ml) and 1 tsp citric acid to the strained syrup. Taste and adjust acidity or sweetness: add up to 1–2 tsp more sugar dissolved in a little water if too tart, or 1/2 tsp more citric acid if too flat.

Chill the syrup until cold (refrigerate ~15–20 minutes or cool in an ice bath). When ready to serve, fill a 1 L bottle or pitcher with 1 L cold carbonated water. Add about 120–150 ml of the lemon-lime syrup (this yields a medium-sweet soda). Stir gently to preserve carbonation. Add ice cubes and garnish with lemon or lime slices.

Adjust final sweetness and acidity to taste. Store leftover syrup in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Prepare sugar base

In a medium saucepan, combine 450 g granulated sugar, 60 g brown sugar and 320 ml water. Stir over medium heat until sugars dissolve completely.

Once dissolved, allow the mixture to simmer gently for 8–10 minutes to thicken slightly. If using caramelized sugar for color, add 2 tablespoons of caramelized sugar or prepared caramel color now and stir to combine.

Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract (1 tsp), ground cinnamon (1 tsp), fresh lemon juice (15 ml) and 2 tsp citric acid. Taste and adjust: add a pinch more cinnamon or 1/4 tsp extra citric acid if the flavor is too sweet or flat.

Cool the syrup to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. To make cola soda, combine roughly 1 part syrup to 4 parts cold carbonated water (e.g., 125 ml syrup + 500 ml soda) and stir gently. Serve over ice.

Store unused syrup in a sterilized, airtight bottle in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Shake gently before use if any separation occurs.

Prepare fruit base

If using fresh berries, blitz 100 g mixed berries in a blender until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds if a smoother texture is desired. If using store-bought puree, measure 100 g.

In a small bowl, combine the berry puree with honey or agave (30 ml) and fresh lemon juice (20 ml). Stir until well combined. Taste and adjust sweetness; add up to 10–15 ml more sweetener if needed.

Lightly bruise the mint leaves by clapping them between your palms or muddling gently in the bottom of the serving pitcher to release oils. Add mint to the berry mixture and let sit for 5 minutes, then strain out large mint pieces if desired.

Fill a pitcher with 1 L cold carbonated water. Add the berry-mint concentrate (about 80–120 ml depending on desired intensity) and stir gently to combine. Add frozen berries and ice cubes to chill and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Serve immediately. Leftover berry concentrate (without carbonated water) can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; add carbonated water only when serving to preserve fizz.