How to Make a Homemade Soda Recipe (That Actually Has Health Benefits)

Are you looking for a homemade soda recipe that is easy, healthy, and quick to make? I break down the anatomy of a homemade soda so you can create delicious sodas that actually have health benefits!

Homemade soda has various health benefits, unlike store-bought soda (Coke, Pepsi, etc). Most notably, it is a fermented beverage, so it has great probiotics!

When I started home brewing beer I didn’t think much of fermented sodas. It wasn’t until recently I learned about homemade soda recipes. Homemade sodas are easy, cheap, and a great healthy thirst quencher, AND have health benefits!!

After reading you will learn the two methods to create homemade sodas, the equipment you need, and a homemade soda recipe to get you started.

This post is all about how to create a homemade soda recipe that actually has health benefits.

Anatomy of a Homemade Soda Recipe

When creating a homemade soda recipe, there are two ways you can approach it. You can make a cold infusion, or you can utilize the boiling method. Both methods can use a ginger bug starter as the yeast, or commercial yeast packets.

The key to a thirst-quenching beverage is citrus. Add in orange slices or freshly squeezed orange juice, lemon wedges, lime wedges, etc. Avoid unnecessary added sugar (like in fruit juices).

What is a Ginger Bug Starter?

If you are not familiar, with yeast live on ginger skins. When you place ginger, skins, and everything, into sugar water the yeast on the ginger will eat the sugar. This process creates alcohol, yes, but also builds the yeast population.

Once you feed this population enough, you can use this “ginger bug” population to inoculate any sugary drink (in replacement of commercial yeast). Whether that be tea with honey, herbs in sugar water, etc.

METHOD 1: Boiling

The boiling method is essentially making a hot tea, cooling it, then adding the yeast. The boiling extracts flavors and aromas are better than simply infusing the herbs in cold water.

The great part of the boiling method is you have the option to make your tea, inoculate it, and bottle it all in the same day. The soda will naturally ferment in the bottles creating carbonation and probiotics.

How to Make Homemade Soda with Ginger Bug: Boiling Method

This method is my method for brewing up some lovely ginger beer sodas! Pairing ginger with Lemon Balm or another earthy herb brings great balance to the drink.

What you need for this method:

Lemon or lime juice
Funnel
Kitchen scale
Pot & a stove
Flip top bottles
Ginger bug starter
Organic cane sugar
Your choice of herbs & spices

1. Choose your ingredients. You can choose 1-3 herbs or spices. About a small handful of herbs in total.

If using Green Tea, or other bitter herbs, make sure to only boil for 5-7 minutes. If using nourishing herbs like chamomile, Lemon Balm, or other ingredients you can boil for longer.

2. Bring a gallon of fresh spring water to a boil (DO NOT use tap water, you do not want chlorine in your water).

3. Add in your chosen herbs and other ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Take the pot off the stove and stir in 370 grams of sugar and 1/2 cup of lemon or lime juice.

5. Let the mixture cool.

6. Add in 111 grams of ginger bug starter (or 2.3 grams of commercial yeast) and stir the yeast into the tea thoroughly.

7. Using your funnel, gently pour your inoculated tea into your bottles and gently seal each bottle.

8. Keep your bottles out of the fridge in a dark area. Allow to bottle condition for 8-12 hours.

After 8-12 hours check the carbonation by gently opening a bottle outside. If the carbonation sounds like you are opening a Mexican Coca-Cola, then you are ready! Place your other bottles in the fridge to get cool.

Enjoy your soda whenever you need a refreshment or nonalcoholic drink!

METHOD 2: Nourishing Cold Infusion

The second method, and more labor-intensive method to a homemade soda recipe, is the nourishing cold infusion.

There are some herbs that are amazing for nourishing infusions: lemon balm, oat straw, Nettles, red raspberry leaf, to name a few. These herbs are non-bittering herbs. So, when making a nourishing cold infusion I recommend using non-bittering herbs with a dash of a bittering herb.

Yarrow and mugwort are great bittering herbs to add to a cold-infused soda to balance out the sweetness and flavors of the herbs/spices/fruits.

How to Make a Homemade Soda with Ginger Bug: Cold-Infusion

The nourishing cold infusion is a great way to throw together leftover herbs and spices, fruits, vegetables, and anything else you have that can add flavor. I love throwing together rosemary, oregano, lemon, yarrow, etc.

Yarrow is a wonderful bittering agent to counteract the sweetness of a soda (or beer)!

What you need for this method:

Lemon or lime juice
Funnel
Kitchen scale
One gallon fermenter and airlock
Fine mesh strainer
Flip top bottles
Ginger bug starter
Organic cane sugar
Your choice of herbs & spices, or fruits & vegetables

1. Choose the ingredients for your soda.

I love rosemary, oregano, or other herbs and spices, then I pair with a citrus like orange, lemon or lime.

2. Pour a gallon of fresh spring water into your one-gallon fermenter. DO NOT use tap water.

3. Add in your chosen ingredients, about a handful of herbs and/or 1-2 lemons.

The amount of ingredients will be dependent on the ones you choose. Once you make a homemade soda recipe, you can tweak it to your liking!

4. Add 1/2 cup of ginger bug starter and 200-300 grams of sugar. You can use less sugar if you do not like very sweet drinks.

5. Place the cap on the fermenter and shake/stir your mixture real good!

6. Place the fermenter in a cool dry place (ideally 70-75 degrees F) for about 1-2 days once fermentation begins and you see air bubbles coming out of the airlock.

7. Stir the fermentation periodically and taste it! When the taste is to your liking you can move on to the next step.

8. Prior to bottling, sanitize your bottles! I use Stan San, it is an industrial-grade santizer and will ensure a clean ferment!

9. Using your funnel and fine mesh strainer, strain the soda into your cleaned flip-top bottles. Store at 70-75 degrees F for 2-3 days. Then, check your carbonation level. When your bottles are ready, place them in the fridge to cool, and then enjoy them when you are thirsty!

Best Homemade Soda Recipe

A classic homemade soda recipe, Ginger Beer but with Lemon Balm!

This recipe uses Lemon Balm for its nervous system support. Sip this lovely soda in the evening for a calming & relaxing probiotic drink.

What you need for this recipe:

1/4 cup Ginger bug starter
1/2 cup chopped Ginger root
3/4 cup of organic cane sugar
1/2 cup of Organic Lemon Balm
1/2 cup lemon juice
Pot & stove
Funnel
Sanitized/deep cleaned flip top soda bottles
Access to good quality water – NOT tap water, you do not want chlorine in your soda

This recipe is for roughly 1 liter of soda, using 1 liter of water to start.

How to make the soda:

Sanitize all your flip-top soda bottles. Either with Star Sans, or boiling water and soap!
Pour your water into your pot and start the stove.
Add in 1/2 cup of Organic Lemon Balm and 1/2 cup of chopped ginger
Bring to a boil.
Boil for 10-15 minutes.
Turn off the stove and allow to cool.
Add in your gingerbug starter, the organic cane sugar, and lemon juice.
Using your funnel, gently transfer the soda into your flip-top bottles. Leave about 2 inches of headroom at the top of the bottles

Close your bottles.
Let the ginger beer soda ferment at room temperature for 3 days to build up pressure in the bottles
After three days, check the carbonation by gently opening up a bottle outside.
If the soda sounded like a Coca-Cola you are ready to place them in the fridge to slow fermentation and get chilled.

Be very careful not to over pressurize your bottles or add too much yeast!! That could result in your sodas exploding which is a fun experiment, but not a fun mess to clean.

Enjoy your soda whenever you want a delicious relaxing drink. Let me know if you liked this recipe and how it went for you!!

How to Make a Homemade Soda Recipe (That Actually Has Health Benefits)