Honey Lemon Pink Soda (Printable)
Bright honey-lemon soda with a berry pink hue, sparkling and refreshing for warm days.
# What You'll Need:
→ Syrup
01 - 1/3 cup honey
02 - 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
03 - 1/4 cup water
→ Pink Color & Flavor
04 - 1/4 cup fresh raspberries or strawberries
05 - 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
→ Soda
06 - 3 cups chilled sparkling water or club soda
07 - Ice cubes, as needed
→ Garnish
08 - Lemon slices
09 - Fresh mint leaves
# Directions:
01 - In a small saucepan, combine the honey, lemon juice, water, raspberries or strawberries, and sugar if using. Gently mash the berries with a muddler or fork. Heat over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring continuously, until the honey fully dissolves and the mixture takes on a vibrant pink color.
02 - Pour the warm syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl or jug. Press firmly on the fruit solids to extract maximum color and flavor. Discard the solids and set the syrup aside to cool slightly.
03 - Fill four serving glasses generously with ice cubes. Divide the pink honey-lemon syrup equally among the glasses, pouring about 3 tablespoons of syrup into each.
04 - Pour chilled sparkling water or club soda over the syrup in each glass, dividing the full 3 cups evenly. Stir gently to combine without losing the carbonation.
05 - Finish each glass with a lemon slice and a sprig of fresh mint. Serve immediately while the soda is cold and effervescent.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It looks impossibly fancy but takes about ten minutes from cupboard to glass.
- The floral note from honey makes this taste nothing like store bought lemon soda, and the berry tint turns it into something people photograph before sipping.
02 -
- If the honey is cold and stubborn, warm the syrup a little longer or it will seize when it hits the sparkling water.
- Taste the syrup before adding soda, because once you pour the sparkling water the flavor will mute slightly.
03 -
- Chill your glasses in the freezer for ten minutes beforehand so the soda stays colder and fizzier longer.
- Make a double batch of the syrup and keep it in the fridge for up to a week, then just add sparkling water whenever the mood strikes.