I’m not sure why homemade soda hasn’t caught on yet in the U.S. It’s remarkably simple to make and much healthier than store-bought sodas. In this recipe, pure cane sugar, fresh-squeezed lemon juice and thyme syrup replace aspartame, phosphoric acid and artificial flavoring. I know, the flavor combination sounds a little pretentious, but this is some of the best soda I’ve ever tried. And the best part is that you can choose how much sweetness and tartness you want, to make your own personal drink.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cane sugar
2 cups water
1 bundle of fresh thyme (about 20-30 sprigs)
Juice of 10 lemons
Soda water, chilled

Preparation

To make the thyme syrup, boil the sugar and water over medium heat, stirring initially to dissolve the sugar. Remove the syrup from the heat and sprinkle in the thyme sprigs. Let the syrup and thyme cool. Strain the mixture into a sealable jar, and discard the thyme (the syrup can be saved for up to two months). Fill a glass with ice and pour in the soda water. Stir in lemon juice and thyme syrup to taste. I recommend a 2-4 tablespoons each of syrup and lemon juice per 8 oz. You’ll have syrup and juice leftover for more. Depending on how sweet and tart you want your soda, and how big your drinkware is, this recipe should yield about 8-12 glasses.