Homemade Raspberry Soda Recipe

Homemade raspberry soda is a simple raspberry syrup poured over ice and topped with club soda. Simmer raspberries with sugar and water for 10 minutes, strain, cool, then add about 2 tablespoons of syrup to each glass. It’s bright, tart, and cleaner-tasting than store-bought soda, and it works with frozen berries too, so you can make it well past raspberry season. If you keep a ginger bug, there’s a naturally fermented version further down.

This recipe is for the point in summer when raspberries are cheap for about seven minutes and you panic-buy too many. Turn the soft ones into syrup and keep the perfect ones for snacking.

If fermentation is your thing, this sits near homemade ginger beer , water kefir , and homemade kombucha . Same general mood, less commitment.

The Quick Version

The fastest version is syrup plus club soda. Simmer the berries just long enough to collapse them, strain out the seeds, cool the syrup, and build each glass to taste.

Building to taste matters, because some raspberries are sharp and some are almost candy. A fixed ratio doesn’t always behave, so start with less syrup and add more.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Club soda, to top each glass
• Ice, for serving

Makes about 10 drinks. Prep 5 minutes, cook 10 minutes.

How to Make Raspberry Soda

1. Put the raspberries, sugar, water and vanilla in a pot and stir.
2. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the raspberries break down.
3. Set a fine mesh strainer over a bowl or jug and pour in the mixture.
4. Press the raspberries to get out as much syrup as you can.
5. Let the syrup cool, then pour it into a jar or bottle. It keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
6. Fill a glass with ice and add 2 tablespoons of syrup, more or less to taste.
7. Top with cold club soda, stir gently, and add a few fresh raspberries.

Let the syrup cool completely first, since warm syrup makes the soda fizz out. Mix each glass right before drinking so the bubbles stay sharp.

Optional Fermented Raspberry Soda

Try this only if your ginger bug is active and you’re comfortable with bottle pressure. Makes about 2 quarts.

• 7 cups water
• 2 tablespoons unrefined cane sugar
• 6 cups fresh raspberries
• 1 cup ginger bug, strained

1. Warm the raspberries, sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat and let the base cool to room temperature.
2. Strain the base into a pitcher and discard the raspberries. Stir in the strained ginger bug.
3. Pour into flip-top bottles, leaving 1 to 2 inches of headspace, and seal.
4. Leave at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. A warm kitchen speeds it up and a cool one slows it down.
5. Move the bottles to the fridge for about 3 days so the bubbles set. Open carefully and serve over ice.

Use bottles made for pressure, not thin decorative ones, and open them slowly.

Flavor Fixes

If the soda tastes flat, add a squeeze of lemon. If it tastes thin, use less club soda. If it tastes like jam, add a pinch of salt and a little lemon.

Blackberries work the same way, though they need a firmer strain. Strawberries work too, but they taste softer and need more acid. See blackberry thyme fizz and hibiscus ginger syrup for other fruit mixers, or serve it with a cranberry mocktail next to it on the table.

Common Questions

How long does the raspberry syrup keep?

Up to 2 weeks in the fridge in a clean jar. If it smells yeasty or grows anything, toss it.

Can I use frozen raspberries?

Yes. Fresh or frozen both work. Use them straight from frozen and simmer until they break down.

Can I make this low sugar?

You can cut back on the sugar, but the syrup tastes sharper and keeps for less time. For fermentation, keep the sugar as written.