Soft Drinks Recipe
Make Soft Drinks Recipe in just 25m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Classic Cola-style Soft Drink (Homebrew)
Citrus Ginger Soft Drink (Alternative Variation)
Method
Classic Cola-style Soft Drink (Homebrew)
- 1
Make quick spiced simple syrup
In a small saucepan combine 1/4 cup cold-filtered water, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Warm gently over low heat, stirring until sugars dissolve completely (do not boil). Once dissolved, add orange zest, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and instant coffee. Stir and let the mixture steep off heat for 5 minutes to extract flavors. Strain through a fine mesh into a heatproof bowl to remove zest and solids; allow to cool to room temperature (about 10–15 minutes).
- 2
Assemble the drink
Fill a tall glass or pitcher with ice cubes. Add the cooled spiced simple syrup and vanilla extract. Add fresh lemon and lime juices and stir briefly to combine. Pour chilled carbonated water over the mixture gently to preserve bubbles (pour over a spoon if desired). Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity: add an additional 1/2 teaspoon sugar dissolved in a splash of water if sweeter, or another 1/2 teaspoon lemon/lime juice if brighter.
- 3
Finish and serve
Give the drink a gentle stir to combine flavors without flattening the carbonation. Garnish with a maraschino cherry or lime wheel if desired. Serve immediately while fizzy. Makes about two 12-oz servings (adjust quantities proportionally for larger batches).
Citrus Ginger Soft Drink (Alternative Variation)
- 4
Prepare ginger-infused syrup
In a small saucepan combine thinly sliced fresh ginger and honey (or agave) with 2 tablespoons water. Warm over low heat for 3–4 minutes until honey thins and ginger aroma is released, but do not boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes, then strain to collect ginger-infused syrup.
- 5
Assemble the drink
Fill a glass or pitcher with ice. Add fresh lemon and orange juices, the ginger-infused syrup, and two dashes of non-alcoholic aromatic bitters if using. Stir to combine. Slowly top with chilled carbonated water and stir gently once to incorporate.
- 6