Tired of the usual flavors of soft drinks on the market? Why not try making your own by creating a fabulous refreshing drink for you and your friends? Thanks to this article you will be able to prepare a non-alcoholic drink with two different methods: the fastest one, which involves the use of ready-made carbonated water, and the one as a true expert, which will teach you how to make your drink sparkling independently.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Preparing a Soft Drink with Quick Method
Step 1. Purchase some soda water
Go to the supermarket and buy a gallon or two of sparkling water. Make sure it doesn't contain any added sugar or additives. All you need is classic sparkling water.
If you have a home carbonator, you will not need to buy water that has already added carbon dioxide
Step 2. Decide what flavor to give your drink
Would you like it to have a fruity taste, or would you like to create a more complex aroma? The only limit is your imagination, be creative. Choose one of the suggested aromas, or customize your drink to your taste:
- Lemon and lime. This citrus combination is refreshing, especially when made with fresh lemon and lime juice.
- Cream and vanilla. Another perfect aroma for a soft drink, delicious for any time of the year. In this case, get some whipping cream and vanilla extract.
- Chocolate. A chocolate drink is surprisingly simple to make, all you need is chocolate syrup, nothing else.
- Tropical. Buy mango, pineapple and kiwi, or choose tropical fruit juices to your taste to make your own exotic-flavored drink.
Step 3. Choose a sweetener
When preparing a soft drink, the best thing is that you can choose which degree of sweetness to give it. You can go for classic white sugar, or experiment with new combinations with honey, agave syrup, or even molasses. Choose an ingredient that can be combined with the chosen aroma for your drink.
- A fruit-flavored drink will need a smaller amount of sweetener as the fruit itself, especially if ripe at the right point, will add great sweetness to your preparation.
- Try pairing vanilla and chocolate with maple syrup for a delicious and interesting combination.
- Make a light drink by replacing the sugar with a low-calorie sweetener.
Step 4. Blend the sparkling water
Pour the water into a large pitcher or large bowl. Add your chosen flavor, whether it's fresh fruit juice, chocolate syrup, cream or vanilla. Add your chosen sweetener, then mix all the ingredients with a large spoon. Serve your drink immediately or store it in a bottle with a lid.
- As you add the ingredients, taste your preparation several times to dose and proportion the flavors to your taste.
- Serve in glass glasses and add a colored straw. The glass will allow you to admire the colors and the sparkle of your drink. Serve your soft drink to delight friends and family at a party with friends.
Method 2 of 2: Preparing a Soft Drink with Expert Method
Step 1. Purchase the necessary ingredients
Making your own soft drink from scratch means sourcing the ingredients needed to make sparkling water. Look for them in specialized stores or on the web. You will need:
- A container of about 20 liters
- Plastic bottles with caps for storing the drink
- Large pot
- Big spoon for mixing
- 1, 8 kg of sugar
- Flavors of your choice
- 1 pack of yeast for sparkling wine
- Sodium carbonate extract
- Kitchen thermometer
Step 2. Bring the water and sugar to a boil
Pour them into the large pot and bring the two ingredients to a boil. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved in the liquid.
At this point you can add your favorite flavors, such as ginger (to make a ginger ale) or lemon zest. Cook the aromas with the sugar. When the sugar is completely dissolved in the water, filter your drink to eliminate the aromas and then proceed with the preparation
Step 3. Pour the sugar water into the container of your choice
If you want to make your drink less concentrated, add another 8 liters of cold water. Let it cool slightly, but not too much, it should reach 20-25 ° C.
- Measure the temperature with a suitable thermometer and proceed further only when the liquid has reached the correct level of heat.
- If the mixture gets too cold, you'll need to reheat it before you can add the yeast and soda ash extract.
Step 4. Add the sodium carbonate extract and yeast
Step 5. Mix them with the other ingredients until they are completely dissolved
Step 6. Pour the mixture into the bottles
If your container has a small tap, use it to fill plastic bottles; otherwise get a ladle and a funnel and fill them with patience and attention. As soon as you are done, seal the bottles with the appropriate caps.
Step 7. Store the bottles at a temperature of 20 ° C
At this temperature, the yeast will consume the sugar and start fermenting, creating carbon dioxide. It will take about 2-3 days for the water to sparkle.
Step 8. Test the degree of fizziness
Press the plastic bottles. If they resist the pressure exerted it means that the water is sparkling. If the bottles can be 'squeezed' easily, it means they need more time.
Step 9. Cool the bottles
When the drink is ready, place the bottles in the refrigerator to cool. As soon as they are cold, you can enjoy your DIY soft drink.
Advice
- You can use any flavor you like, not just citrus juice.
- You can make your own soft drink in large quantities by increasing the doses of the ingredients.
