How to Make Homemade Lemon Lime Soda

Making your own homemade lemon lime soda couldn’t be easier! With just a couple of ingredients, you’ll have a fizzy, refreshing, and zesty beverage that you can drink on its own or mixed into cocktails, mocktails, or other delicious drink concoctions. This recipe will make for the best lemon lime sodas that beat even traditional lemon lime soda from major brands like like Sprite, Sierra Mist, or Mountain Dew.

For more lemon and lime-flavored drinks, unleash your inner mixologist with my Midori Sour or this lemon-lime, red wine cocktail, the Tinto de Verano.

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe 
• Ingredient Notes
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Expert Tips and Variations
• FAQ
• Related Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Why You’ll Love This Recipe 

Great taste – homemade soda has a much more vibrant and fresher flavor profile than the typical soft drinks you find in the grocery store from a variety of popular brands. It’s bound to become your family’s favorite lemon-lime beverage! 

Easy – it takes very little ingredients and effort to make your own soda. Having something like a SodaStream machine makes it even easier. 

Adaptable – unlike store-bought, you can completely customize these homemade sodas to your liking by just adjusting the measurements slightly. It’s perfect for so many situations, everything from a backyard barbecue to a mixer at a holiday party. 

Ingredient Notes

Lemon lime syrup – you can make your own lemon lime simple syrup (which also doubles as a sweet and sour mix for cocktails) or you can buy a high-quality lemon lime syrup from Amazon. In my opinion, the homemade kind gives the best citrus flavor. 

Soda water – I used some Topo Chico sparkling mineral water as that is what I had on hand. You can also make your own with a SodaStream or buy your favorite seltzer, sparkling water, or club soda from the grocery stores. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Mix the soda water and the syrup in a large pitcher or mixing glass. Stir gently.

Step 2: Serve immediately over ice for the best taste and prevent it from going flat. If you need to save some for later, you can store it in a mason jar or a clean glass jar that you can cork with corks that are specifically made for carbonated drinks (like soda or champagne). 

Expert Tips and Variations

Consume the soda immediately over ice after mixing to prevent carbonation loss. 

Adjust the ratio of syrup and soda water to your liking – for a sweeter drink, increase the syrup. For a less sweet option, either decrease the amount of syrup or increase the amount of soda water. 

Get creative with your garnishes! Try adding slices of citrus like lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit to add more great citrus flavors to your drink. Muddled mint can also add an extra pop of color and flavor to your soda. 

FAQ

What kind of soda water should I use?

You can use seltzer, sparkling water, or club soda. You can make your own with a SodaStream or buy at your local grocery store. I would avoid tonic water as this is already pre-sweetened. 

Where can I find lemon lime syrup?

You can use high-quality syrups like Monin’s Exotic Citrus Syrup to make citrus-flavored sodas or make your own homemade lemon-lime syrup (it is super easy!) Avoid syrups that are neon or unnaturally colored – this is generally an indicator of low quality and it likely won’t have the fresh, natural flavor that the other choices would provide. In my opinion, homemade lemon-lime syrup gives the best experience, but to each their own!

Related Recipes

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