What do you get when you mix the best combination of fresh fruits, herbs, berries, with a little bit of sugar and a splash of sparkling water? Well the yummiest sodas around, of course! Are you ready to get your soda on? Because we definitely are!

There are some big differences you need to know when it comes to store-bought and homemade sodas. With homemade sodas, you have 100% control on what you decide goes into your tasty beverage and eventually in  your body. When you buy mass-produced soda, you are subject to a huge amount of sugar, artificial flavors, colours and preservatives, which is really not what your body needs at all. Sure, they may taste delicious, but think about what chemicals are entering your body through these sodas!

The sky’s the limit when it comes to which natural ingredients you choose to create your own recipe but because A&D offers some rocking sodas, we rounded up our 4 favourite homemade recipes directly off our menu for you to try and experiment with at home. For each recipe you can refrigerate the soda for up to 2 weeks and it will serve up to 20-25 portions.

Pineapple & Hibiscus Soda
2 ½ cups of sugar
4 cups of water
1 whole pineapple 
hand full of dried hibiscus leaves about 20-25 pieces
5 mint leaves

Place sugar and water into a large pan and stir until sugar has evaporated. Roughly chop the pineapple (with skins) and place in the pan. Take a handful of hibiscus leaves and your mint and let simmer for 1 hour. Once thickened strain the syrup and let cool. Pop it into a container or glass bottle and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

Serving: add 1 ½ oz. of the syrup to a glass, add ice, top with sparkling water and stir to combine your ingredients. You can always add more syrup if you prefer it sweeter.

Homemade Ginger ale 
2 ½ cups of sugar
4 cups of water 
8 knobs of ginger crushed (1 medium size ginger root)
3 lemons zested and juiced

Place sugar and water into a large pan and stir until sugar has evaporated. Wrap up the ginger root in a towel and using a heavy instrument (e.g. a rolling pin) beat the ginger so it’s broken into pieces and place in the pan. Zest and juice the lemons and let simmer for 1 hour. Once thickened strain the syrup and let cool. Pop it into a container or glass bottle and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

Serving – add 1 ½ oz. of the syrup to a glass, add ice, top with sparkling water and stir to combine your ingredients. You can always add more syrup if you prefer it sweeter or spicier.

Passionfruit & Ginger Soda
2 ½ cups of sugar
4 cups of water 
1 cup of passionfruit puree
6 knobs of ginger crushed 
2 lemons zested and juiced

Place sugar and water into a large pan and stir until sugar has evaporated. Chop ginger root into 1 inch pieces, add the passionfruit and the 2 lemons (zested and juiced) in the pan and let simmer for 1 hour. Once thickened strain the syrup and let cool. Pop it into a container or glass bottle and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

Serving – add 1oz. of the syrup to a glass, add ice, top with sparkling water and stir to combine your ingredients. You can always add more syrup if you prefer it sweeter.

Blueberry & Mint Soda

2 ½ cups of sugar
4 cups of water 
2 box of fresh blueberries
hand full of mint about 20-25 mint leaves
3 lemons zested and juiced

Place sugar and water into a large pan and stir until sugar has evaporated. Add blueberries, mint and lemons (zested and juiced) into the plan and let simmer for 1 hour. Once thickened strain the syrup and let cool. Pop it into a container or glass bottle and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

Serving – add 1 ½ oz. of the syrup to a glass, add ice, top with sparkling water and stir to combine your ingredients. You can always add more syrup if you prefer it sweeter.