How A Jar Of Strawberry Syrup Can Change Your Soda Game Forever

There are few things more refreshing on a warm, sunny day than a cold, bubbly glass of artisanal soda. While there's nothing wrong with the classic brand names — especially the newest soda flavors released in 2024 — spring and summer evoke a need for sophisticated, fruity, jewel-colored drinks that look amazing in a fancy glass. Of course, fruity specialty sodas can be expensive, and many of them use artificial flavors. Luckily, if you're looking for a summer sipper that's friendlier to your wallet with whole ingredients, it's fairly easy to make it yourself.

When making your own homemade simple syrups infused with fruit, strawberries are a good fruit to start with. They're fairly sweet on their own, have a distinct flavor that doesn't need much enhancement, and they need very little processing. All you really need to do is wash and chop them up before adding them to a small saucepan with water and sugar. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until the strawberries are soft enough to mash.

Smush the mixture into a smooth sauce, then strain it through cheesecloth into a clean glass jar, squeezing the cloth at the end to get every drop of strawberry goodness. After tossing the cheesecloth, let the syrup cool and then add as much or as little as you like to plan seltzer for the freshest, cleanest tasting strawberry soda of your life. Garnish with a strawberry, lemon, or lime wedge for an extra pop of tasty, fruity brightness.

While adding this fresh strawberry syrup to plain seltzer or club soda is the easiest, most convenient way to get an intense strawberry-flavored soda, there's no rule preventing you from shaking things up by experimenting with different flavors. Feel free to grab a can of your favorite kind of La Croix and splash in some of your syrup to create flavors like strawberry creamsicle (vanilla), strawberry lemonade or limeade (lemon or lime), or a tropical infusion with coconut, pineapple, or mango.

You can also replicate all of these flavors naturally by following the same basic recipe to make other fruit-infused syrups and combining them in plain seltzer. Stick to other soft summer berries like raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries, or branch out into various citrus fruits, and even herbs. Once you've mastered the art of making infused syrups, there's no limit to the tasty concoctions you can make, from strawberry basil lemonade to real-fruit cherry limeade, blueberry coconut, and wherever else your imagination takes you.

If you have leftover strawberry syrup (unlikely, but possible), you might even try using it in your cooking. Think strawberry glazed grilled chicken on a spinach and feta salad, homemade barbecue sauce infused with a hint of strawberry sweetness, or drizzle it into zesty salad dressing to enjoy over walnuts, white cheddar, and kale. It could also make a delicious soak to revive dry, over-baked muffins, or to add flair to your favorite angel food cake recipe.