Sumol Recipe

Juicing

Roll the oranges on the counter firmly to loosen juices. Cut each orange in half and juice them with a citrus juicer or reamer into a bowl. You should get roughly 2 to 2 1/2 cups (480–600 ml) of fresh orange juice from 6 medium oranges.

Straining

Pour the juice through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring jug to remove seeds and excess pulp. Use a spoon to press solids to extract as much juice as practical. Discard solids or reserve for another use.

Add lemon & sugar

Add the juice of 1 fresh lemon (about 2 tbsp / 30 ml) to the orange juice to brighten flavor. Stir in 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar and a pinch of salt; stir until sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust sweetness: add up to 1 additional tablespoon sugar if you prefer sweeter soda.

Combine with still water

Pour 500 ml cold water into the orange concentrate and stir to combine. This makes a slightly concentrated syrup base that will be carbonated with sparkling water.

Chill briefly

Place the combined mixture in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes to ensure it is cold — cold liquids retain carbonation better.

Finish with sparkling water

When ready to serve, gently add 1 liter of chilled sparkling water to the orange mixture. Stir once or twice gently to preserve bubbles. Do not vigorously stir or shake.

Fill six tall glasses with a few ice cubes (about 2 cups total divided among glasses). Pour the fresh Sumol evenly into glasses over the ice. Stir gently in each glass.

Garnish each glass with a small sprig of mint and a pinch of orange zest if using. Serve immediately so the drink stays fizzy.

Storage: keep any leftover (uncarbonated) orange concentrate refrigerated for up to 48 hours. If you pre-mix with sparkling water, consume within 6–8 hours for best fizz.