How to Make Soda For each drink, mix 2 to 4 tablespoons flavored syrup with 1 cup cold seltzer unless otherwise instructed; add ice. Each recipe makes enough for 4 to 8 drinks. 1. Cherry-Vanilla Simmer 2 cups cherry juice, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 split, scraped vanilla bean seeds and pod over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; strain. Let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 2. Chocolate Simmer 1 cup each sugar and water with 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until syrupy, 6 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 3. Chocolate-Cherry Make Cherry-Vanilla syrup No. 1 and Chocolate syrup No. 2. For each drink, mix 2 tablespoons cherry syrup with 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup; mix with seltzer. 4. Rhubarb Simmer 3 cups chopped rhubarb, 1 1/2 cups water and 1 cup sugar over medium heat until broken down and syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely, then strain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve, pressing on the solids. Mix with seltzer. 5. Rhubarb Shrub Make Rhubarb syrup No. 4. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water, 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup white vinegar. Cover; refrigerate 2 days. Stir; mix each 1/2 cup with 1/2 cup seltzer. 6. Cantaloupe Puree 4 cups cubed cantaloupe, 1/4 cup honey, the juice of 1 lemon and a pinch of salt; strain, pressing on the solids. Mix with seltzer. 7. Currant Simmer 1 cup black or red currant jelly with 2 tablespoons water until smooth; strain. Let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 8. Balsamic-Fig Simmer 1 cup fig preserves with 2 tablespoons each balsamic vinegar and water until smooth; strain. Let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 9. Licorice Simmer 1 cup each sugar and water with 1 tablespoon anise seeds over medium heat until syrupy, 5 minutes; strain. Let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. Karl Juengel, Hearst Communications Inc., 2010 10. Espresso-Licorice Simmer 2 cups water, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brewed espresso and 1/4 teaspoon anise seeds over medium heat until syrupy, about 10 minutes; strain. Let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 11. Mulled Cider Simmer 2 cups apple cider, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 wide strips orange zest, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 allspice berries and 1 clove over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; strain, then stir in the juice of 1 lemon. Let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 12. Chai Tea Steep 4 chai tea bags in 2 cups boiling water, 10 minutes. Simmer the tea with 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup honey, 4 cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick and 1 star anise pod over medium heat until syrupy, 12 minutes; strain. Let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 13. Arnold Palmer Steep 4 black tea bags in 2 cups boiling water, 10 minutes. Simmer the tea with 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup lemon juice over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 14. Grapefruit-Chamomile Simmer 2 cups ruby red grapefruit juice and 1 cup sugar over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; let cool completely. Mix with chilled chamomile tea and seltzer. 15. Raspberry-Grapefruit Simmer 1 1/2 cups water, 1 cup sugar, 1 pint raspberries and 2 cinnamon sticks over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; strain, pressing on the solids. Let cool completely. Mix with grapefruit juice and seltzer. 16. Blackberry-Lime Simmer 1 cup water, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 pint blackberries over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; strain, pressing on the solids. Stir in the juice of 1 lime. Let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 17. Blackberry-Thyme Make Blackberry-Lime Soda No. 16, simmering 8 thyme sprigs in the syrup. 18. Sour Cherry–Lime Simmer 1 1/2 cups frozen sour cherries, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar and the zest of 1 lime in wide strips over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; strain, pressing on the solids. Let cool completely. Mix with lime juice and seltzer. 19. Kiwi-Lime Simmer 4 peeled, chopped kiwis, 1 1/2 cups water, 1 cup sugar and the zest of 1 lime in wide strips over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; strain. Let cool completely. Mix with lime juice and seltzer. 20. Lemon-Lime Simmer 1 cup each sugar and water until the sugar dissolves; let cool completely. Stir in 1/2 cup each lemon and lime juice. Mix with seltzer use 1/2 cup syrup per drink. 21. Lemon Ginger Ale Simmer 2 cups water, 1 cup each sugar and finely chopped ginger, and the zest in wide strips and juice of 2 lemons over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; strain. Let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 22. Spiced Lemon Ginger Ale Make Lemon Ginger Ale No. 21, using the zest and juice of only 1 lemon and simmering 6 cardamom pods, 1 teaspoon allspice berries and 1 cinnamon stick in the syrup. 23. Apricot-Ginger Simmer 2 cups apricot nectar, 1 cup peeled, sliced ginger and 3/4 cup sugar over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; strain. Let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 24. Orange-Carrot-Ginger Simmer 1 cup each orange and carrot juice, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup chopped ginger and the zest of 2 oranges in wide strips over medium heat until syrupy, 25 minutes; strain. Let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 25. Triple Citrus Simmer 1/2 cup each orange, grapefruit and lime juice with 1 cup sugar over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; strain. Let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 26. Orange-Fennel Simmer 2 cups orange juice, 3/4 cup sugar, the zest of 2 oranges in wide strips and 2 tablespoons crushed fennel seeds over medium heat until syrupy, 25 minutes. Let cool completely, then strain. Mix with seltzer. 27. Basil-Tangerine Simmer 2 cups tangerine juice, 3/4 cup sugar and 4 basil sprigs over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely, then strain. Mix with seltzer. 28. Watermelon-Mint Simmer 1 cup each sugar, water and mint leaves until the sugar dissolves. Pour over an additional 1 cup mint leaves; let cool completely, then strain. Mix with pureed watermelon and seltzer. 29. Juniper-Lingonberry Simmer 1 cup lingonberry preserves, 1/4 cup water and 1 tablespoon each crushed juniper berries and lemon juice until smooth; strain. Let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 30. Cardamom-Pear Simmer 2 cups pear nectar, 3/4 cup sugar and 6 cardamom pods over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; strain. Let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 31. Cucumber-Vanilla Simmer 1 cup each sugar and water until the sugar dissolves. Add 1 sliced cucumber and 1/2 split, scraped vanilla bean seeds and pod. Let cool completely, then strain. Mix with seltzer. 32. Raspberry-Vanilla Simmer 2 cups water, 1 cup sugar, 1 pint raspberries and 2 teaspoons vanilla over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; strain, pressing on the solids. Let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 33. Blueberry-Maple Simmer 2 cups blueberry juice with 1/4 cup maple syrup over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in 1 more tablespoon maple syrup and let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 34. Acai–Mixed Berry Simmer 2 cups acai juice, 1 cup mixed berries and 1 teaspoon vanilla over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Strain, pressing on the solids, then stir in the juice of 1 lemon and let cool completely. Mix with seltzer and sweeten with agave syrup. 35. Raspberry-Peach Simmer 2 cups peach nectar, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 pint raspberries over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely, then strain, pressing on the solids. Mix with seltzer. 36. Strawberry-Yuzu Simmer 2 cups diced strawberries with 1 cup each sugar and water over medium heat until syrupy, 12 minutes; strain, pressing on the solids. Let cool completely. Mix with yuzu juice and seltzer. 37. Strawberry-Mango Simmer 2 cups mango nectar with 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; let cool completely. Stir in 2 cups pureed strawberries. Mix with seltzer. 38. Pomegranate-Rose Simmer 1 cup pomegranate juice, 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup each water and dried rose petals over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; strain. Let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 39. Grape-Almond Simmer 2 cups Concord grape juice with 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the juice of 1/2 lemon and 1 teaspoon almond extract; let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 40. Tropical Fruit Punch Simmer 1 cup each cherry juice, orange juice, pineapple juice and chopped strawberries with 3/4 cup sugar over medium heat until syrupy, 18 minutes; strain, pressing on the solids. Stir in the juice of 1 lime; let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 41. Lychee Simmer 1 cup canned lychees and 1/2 cup syrup from the can, 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water over medium heat until the sugar dissolves; strain. Let cool completely. Mix with coconut water and seltzer. 42. Pina Colada Simmer 1 1/2 cups pineapple juice with 1/2 cup each sugar and coconut milk over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; let cool completely. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon rum extract and 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract. Mix with seltzer. 43. Guava-Pineapple Simmer 1 cup guava jelly with 2 tablespoons water until smooth; let cool completely. Mix with pineapple juice and seltzer. 44. Passion Fruit Simmer 2 cups passion fruit juice and 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; let cool completely. Mix with coconut water and seltzer. 45. Cranberry Simmer 2 cups cranberry juice with 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 46. Cranberry-Jalapeno Make Cranberry soda No. 45, adding 2 chopped seeded jalapenos during the last 5 minutes; strain. 47. Spicy Blood Orange Simmer 1 cup hot pepper jelly with 1/4 cup water until smooth; strain. Let cool completely. Mix with blood orange juice and seltzer. 48. Bloody Mary Simmer 2 cups tomato juice, 1/3 cup sugar, the zest of 1 lemon in wide strips and 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds over medium heat until syrupy, 10 minutes; strain. Let cool completely. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and a dash each of Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Mix with seltzer. 49. Celery Simmer 1 1/2 cups water, 1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon celery seeds over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; strain. Let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. 50. Black Pepper–Prune Simmer 2 cups prune juice, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 cinnamon stick and 1 teaspoon cracked pepper over medium heat until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes; strain. Let cool completely. Mix with seltzer. Seltzer Water with added carbon dioxide — it's what you get when you use a home soda maker. Club soda Water with added carbon dioxide plus small amounts of mineral salts — you might be able to detect a subtle salty flavor. Sparkling mineral water Water with naturally occurring mineral content and carbonation — it's more expensive than other sparkling waters and has a distinct mineral flavor, so it's not ideal for mixing. Tonic Water with added bubbles and quinine, a bitter alkaloid — the flavor might overpower homemade sodas. Unlike other sparkling waters, tonic has calories 124 per 12-ounce serving. Here's how to make your drinks super fizzy Choose glass bottles. Club soda or seltzer bottled in glass is often fizzier. Plastic bottles and aluminum cans can leak carbon dioxide. Use cold sparkling water. Carbonated water tastes flatter at room temperature. Chill your sparkling water, or if you're using a soda maker, keep bottles filled with flat water in the fridge and carbonate to order. Serve drinks in a narrow glass. Champagne is served in flutes for a reason — there's less surface area for bubbles to escape. Same goes for soda. New York–Style Egg Cream There are no eggs or cream in this soda-fountain favorite — just milk, seltzer and flavored syrup usually chocolate. Make one with Chocolate-Cherry Soda No. 3. Italian Cream Soda This is soda with a splash of heavy cream or half-and-half. You won't find it in Italy — it was invented by Italian-Americans. Try it with Cherry-Vanilla Soda No. 1. "Cow" Floats The classic is a brown cow root beer with chocolate ice cream or cola with vanilla ice cream, often with chocolate syrup. You can make a purple cow by adding vanilla ice cream to Grape-Almond Soda No. 39.