Pop Recipe

Make fruit syrup

Combine the quartered strawberries, sugar, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally so the sugar dissolves. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, until the fruit is very soft and the liquid is slightly thickened.

Remove from heat. Stir in the 2 tablespoons lemon juice to brighten the flavor and stop the cooking.

Use an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender) and puree until smooth. If you want a clearer pop, pass the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much syrup as possible. Discard solids or reserve for yoghurt/ice cream.

Let the syrup cool to room temperature (about 20–30 minutes). For faster cooling, transfer to the fridge for 10–15 minutes, but do not chill until completely cold if you plan to serve immediately with ice.

Assemble the pop

Fill four tall glasses with about 1/2 cup ice each (approximately 2 cups total for four servings).

Spoon 2 tablespoons of the cooled fruit syrup into each glass (about 1/2 cup syrup total used; adjust to taste).

Pour 1 cup of cold club soda into each glass over the syrup and ice. Stir gently with a bar spoon to mix syrup into the soda without flattening the carbonation.

Taste and adjust: if you want it sweeter, add 1 teaspoon sugar or more syrup; for tarter, add a few drops of lemon juice. If you prefer a stronger fruit flavor, add an extra tablespoon of syrup per glass.

Garnish each glass with 2 mint leaves and a lemon or lime slice on the rim. Serve immediately so the soda stays fizzy.