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What Are the Best Tips for Making Italian Soda?

Amber Eberle
Amber Eberle

An Italian soda is a carbonated drink made with soda water and flavored syrup. Some recipes also call for the addition of half-and-half or cream. A number of different syrups can be purchased at a grocery store or specialty market. For the best results, the soda water used should be fully carbonated, and the syrups should be of high quality. If making an Italian cream soda, the ingredients should be combined in a specific order to prevent the half and half or cream from curdling and ruining the drink.

Soda water is the main ingredient of an Italian soda. Stores typically sell bottled soda water of different types. The drink usually tastes best when very bubbly, fully-carbonated water is used, and this can be best achieved by making the beverage with a newly-opened bottle. An Italian soda should be served soon after it is made, as the water tends to lose its carbonation within a short amount.

High-quality syrup should be used to make Italian soda.
High-quality syrup should be used to make Italian soda.

A high-quality syrup can make a big difference in the taste of an Italian soda. There are many kinds of syrup available, ranging from fruit flavors to those that taste like liqueurs, chocolate, or spices. A quality syrup is usually thick, with a strong flavor. When making an Italian soda, only a small amount of this flavoring is necessary.

Some drink recipes call for the addition of cream or half-and-half when making an Italian soda. Like the syrup, only a small amount of this rich ingredient must be used. Using one of these dairy products makes the drink thicker and creamy. Some people prefer to use milk instead to make the drink lighter.

Italian soda drinks are often served with a straw.
Italian soda drinks are often served with a straw.

For the best tasting Italian soda, it should be made in a way that thoroughly combines the syrup and soda water. It is recommended that the syrup is added to a glass first, followed by the soda water. The mixture should be gently stirred to combine the ingredients. More syrup may be added if a stronger flavored drink is desired. Ice should be added to keep the drink cold.

Carbonated water is mixed with flavored simple syrup to make the drink known as an Italian soda.
Carbonated water is mixed with flavored simple syrup to make the drink known as an Italian soda.

When using a dairy product to make a cream soda, the syrup and dairy product should be added together and thoroughly mixed. The soda water should then be added, followed by ice. Making the drink in this way should prevent the dairy product from curdling in the glass. These drinks are often served with a straw, and whipped cream can be added as a topping.

Discussion Comments

bluedolphin

@ddlohn-- Do you mean mineral water? I don't think that's what the original recipe calls for right? Doesn't it just call for fizzy water? Mineral water is different.

I don't like cream in my Italian soda. It becomes too rich and adds a lot of calories. I like strawberry Italian soda with sugar-free strawberry syrup. Sometimes I also add a dash of vanilla. That's very good too.

serenesurface

@ddljohn-- I absolutely agree with you. I make Italian soda at home and I use Italian sparkling water for it.

I don't like using syrup because syrups are usually full of artificial flavors and colors, and too much sugar.

I make my own "syrup" at home. My favorite flavor is raspberry Italian soda. I just take half a cup of fresh raspberries with some sugar (or natural sweetener) and put it through the blender. I add the cream and the sparkling water and it's ready! It's so delicious and perfect for hot summer days. Yum!

ddljohn

The cafe I go to a lot offers Italian soda but they make it with carbonated water, the kind they use to make cocktails, not bottled soda. So it tastes quite bad. Italian soda should be made with bottled, natural soda, not carbonated water.

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    • High-quality syrup should be used to make Italian soda.
      By: tiverylucky
      High-quality syrup should be used to make Italian soda.
    • Italian soda drinks are often served with a straw.
      By: flairimages
      Italian soda drinks are often served with a straw.
    • Carbonated water is mixed with flavored simple syrup to make the drink known as an Italian soda.
      By: Hyrma
      Carbonated water is mixed with flavored simple syrup to make the drink known as an Italian soda.
    • Some Italian soda recipes call for cream or half-and-half.
      By: Dmytro Sukharevskyy
      Some Italian soda recipes call for cream or half-and-half.