How to Make Soft Drinks

Quick Home-Mixed Soft Drinks

Buy soda water. Go to the grocery store and buy a liter or two of plain soda water. Look for a brand that doesn't contain sugar or any other additives. All you need is plain, carbonated water. If you have a carbonation machine at home, there's no need to get carbonated water at the store. You can also buy "sparkling water" - sometimes soda water goes by that name.

Decide how to flavor your soda. Would you like to make a fruity flavor, or something a little richer? The sky's the limit when it comes to making your own soda. Choose one of these delicious flavors, or make up your own: Lemon lime. This classic flavor combination is refreshing, and even more so when you create it yourself using fresh limes and lemons. Vanilla cream. Another soda counter favorite, this smooth, rich soda is delicious any time of year. You'll need whipping cream and vanilla extract. Chocolate. Chocolate soda is surprisingly easy to make - all you need is some chocolate syrup, and you're good to go. Tropical punch. Buy some mangoes, pineapples, and kiwis, or skip the whole fruit and just buy a variety of juices to make your tropical soda.

Choose a sweetener. The great thing about making your own soda is that you get to choose how sweet to make it. You can stick with plain sugar or go with a different flavor like honey, agave nectar, or even molasses. Choose a sweetener that matches the soda flavor you designed. Soda made with fruit won't need as much sweetener as other types of soda, since the fruit itself provides a lot of the sweetness. Pair vanilla and chocolate sodas with maple syrup for an interesting twist. Make diet soda by using a sugar substitute.

Mix the soda. Pour the carbonated water into a large pitcher or punch bowl. Add the flavor you chose, whether it's freshly squeezed fruit, chocolate syrup, or cream and vanilla. Mix in some sweetener, then stir the entire concoction with a large spoon. Serve immediately or store in a capped bottle for later use. Taste the soda as you add flavorings and sweetener to determine how much more you want to add. Serve the drink in clear glasses with straws to show off its pretty colors and the sparkling bubbles. Homemade soft drinks make a great party treat.

Expert Home-Brewed Soft Drinks

Purchase home brewing ingredients. Making soft drinks from scratch means actually purchasing the ingredients that are used to cause carbonation to occur in water. They're available at home brewing stores or online. You'll need the following: A 5 gallon (18.9 L) bucket Plastic bottles with caps, for storing the finished soft drinks A large stock pot A large stirring spoon 8 cups of sugar Flavoring of your choice 1 packet champagne brewer's yeast Soda extract Kitchen thermometer

Boil the water and sugar. In the big stock pot, pour in 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water and 8 cups of sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until the sugar has dissolved into the water. At this point you can add any spices or flavorings you'd like to add, such as ginger (to make ginger ale) or lemon peel. Let the spices cook with the sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved, strain the spices from the mixture before proceeding.

Pour the sugar water into the bucket. To make it less concentrated, add 2 more gallons of cold water to the mix. Let the mixture cool down a bit, but not too much; it should be between 70 and 80 degrees F. Test with the kitchen thermometer to make sure it's at the right temperature before proceeding. If the mixture gets too cold, you'll have to heat it back up before adding the soda extract and yeast.

Add the soda extract and yeast.

Mix them in thoroughly until both have completely dissolved.

Pour the mixture into bottles. If your bucket has a spigot, use that to fill the bottles; otherwise you can place a funnel in a bottle and ladle soda into it a cup at a time. When the bottles are full, screw on the caps tightly.

Store the bottles at 70 °F (21 °C). At this temperature, the yeast will consume the sugar and begin to ferment, creating carbon dioxide. It will take 2–3 days for the water to become carbonated.

Test for carbonation. Squeeze the plastic bottles. If they feel firm when you squeeze them, the water is carbonated. If the bottles indent easily, they need more time.

Chill the bottles. When the bottles are ready, put them in the refrigerator to cool down. When they're cold, open one up and enjoy your homemade soda.