Brew Better Soda at Home

(Page 5 of 5)

December/January 2004
By Anne Vassal and Megan Phelps 
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Honey Ginger Ale

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Ginger adds a delicious and spicy kick to this soda, and the honey contributes a sweet taste that is richer than refined sugar.

1 gallon water
1 cup honey
2 lemons
1 cup loosely packed hops flowers (optional)
2 pieces of ginger, thumb-sized
1/2 teaspoon ale or champagne yeast

Combine water, honey and hops in a stockpot. Add the juice from the two lemons and bring to a boil. Grate ginger and add to the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes. Allow to cool and then add the yeast. Let the soda stand at room temperature for 24 hours, then use a funnel and strainer to pour the soda into bottles. Leave 1 to 2 inches of
empty space at the top of the bottle and attach the bottle caps. Write the date on the bottles and store them in a warm, draftfree place, ideally at room temperature, for an additional 24 hours. Then refrigerate. For best results, leave the bottles in the refrigerator an additional day or two before drinking. Makes 1 gallon.

Real Grape Soda

Made with real grape juice, this soda is a far cry from the syrupy sweetness of commercial grape sodas. It’s an interesting change of pace for adults, and it’s a fun treat for children, too.

1/2 gallon grape juice
1/2 gallon water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ale or champagne yeast

Simmer juice, water and sugar in a stockpot for 30 minutes. Let cool, and then add the yeast. Let the soda stand at room temperature for 24 hours, then use a funnel to pour the soda into bottles. Leave 1 to 2 inches of empty space at the top of the bottle and attach the bottle caps. Write the date on the bottles and store them in a warm, draft-free place, ideally at room temperature, for an additional 24 hours. Then refrigerate. For best results, let the soda sit an additional day or two in the refrigerator before drinking. Makes 1 gallon.

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  • whitecat 2/13/2009 11:13:20 AM

    If you plan to use wild or fresh ingredients, I would try to kill off any bacteria that might be in the fruit like you do in wine making. Zoloftzantac, try to mash up the fruit like you intend and add Camden tablets to the juice to kill off wild yeast that would be on the skin of the grapes. Refer to wine making books or a brew shop near you to ask about the tablets. I make wine from fresh fruit and let me tell you, some funky stuff gets in there if you done sterilize the fruit first!

  • zoloftzantac 9/7/2008 1:42:57 AM

    Great article! :)

    I don't have the answer to CJB's question, but I can tell you that if you try this with commercial grape juice, try to find one without preservatives. Getting yeast to grow and preservatives don't go hand in hand.

    I picked about 5 gallons of wild grapes today and I plan to try this recipe. I'm going to crush the grapes with my potato masher and then squeeze the juice out of them by hand with my jam bag.

    If you try with fresh grapes you may want to let your juice clear for at least a few days and then siphon off the clear stuff from the top for your soda or else your soda will have a lot of cloudy junk on the bottom. (but of course you'll have some lees down there from the yeast anyway so it isn't a big deal)

  • CJB 7/18/2008 5:32:54 PM

    In your grape soda recipe, you call for 1/2 gallon of grape juice. What are you considering grape juice? I have made it by putting grapes in a stock pot, adding a little water, just enough to prevent sticking, until the grapes start to juice. Then mashing them down, bring to a boil and straining out the grapes. Is this what you want me to use? Or are you calling for a commercial grape juice?

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