Italian soda is a refreshing drink, especially perfect on a warm, sunny day. Despite it’s name, this drink was actually invented in San Francisco’s North Beach, not in Italy. It gets its name from the flavored syrups that originated in Italy that are used to make it. The drink is simply flavored syrup mixed with carbonated water served in a tall glass with ice. Add a splash of cream and it becomes an Italian cream soda or cremosa. Either way, an Italian soda is a nice alternative to store-bought soft drinks.
They can be made with a wide variety of flavors. Homemade syrups or bottled brands like Torani may be used. I made a homemade raspberry-basil syrup for these. The savory hint of basil may not be for everyone, but I liked the contrast to the sweetness of the syrup it provided. Have fun by combining your own favorite flavors for the syrups. How about strawberries and rhubarb, blackberry and mint, or lemons and thyme instead?
While I specified amounts of each of the ingredients in the recipe below, ratios can easily be adjusted to suit your personal taste.
Raspberry-Basil Italian Soda
Yields 1 serving
Ingredients:
ice, either cubes or crushed
1 1/2 – 2 ounces homemade raspberry-basil syrup, or to taste (recipe below)
6 – 8 ounces club soda or sparkling water
splash of cream or half and half, or to taste (optional)
2-3 raspberries, for garnish
sprig of basil, for garnish
Method:
Fill a tall glass half full with ice. Pour the raspberry-basil syrup. Add club soda or sparkling water. Pour in cream, if using. Stir, and adjust to taste by adding more syrup or club soda.
Garnish with a few whole raspberries and a sprig of basil.
Raspberry-Basil Simple Syrup
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 pound raspberries, washed
1/2 to 3/4 cup tightly packed basil leaves, to taste
Method:
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water and cook over high heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and add raspberries. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until slightly thickened.
Remove from heat and add basil leaves. Steep basil leaves in raspberry syrup until cooled, about 1 hour. Strain syrup through a fine-mesh strainer, discarding basil and fruit solids. Cover the syrup and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Syrup will keep for 2-3 days.
© Daisy’s World, 2011-2012. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Daisy’s World with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Love this recipe! Will be linking back to this in my upcoming post
Reblogged this on L3GACI.
Reblogged this on El Blog de Raki.
It looks very fresh! Thank you for sharing,
Artphalt (http://artphalt.wordpress.com)
I just got the ingredients to make this! I am so excited!! Thanks so much for the recipe and congrats on being freshly pressed
Great! I hope you like it. Are you making other flavors?
daisy
Reblogged this on bakingme and commented:
i cann’t wait to chir it !!!!! ;}
This looks absolutely fantastic! I can’t wait to try it.
very nice post, very nice website. we would like to feature your blog on blaz.biz.
best.
layla
Vanilla bean syrup with cream and club soda would be awesome. I have a batch of Jamaica flower syrup at home that I will try this with.
That looks delicious! -great photo!
looks yummy :3
The combination sounds very refreshing! Bring on summertime.
Looks tangy, and sweet. Seems like one should sit on the back of the porch chillaxing with this or on a island somewhere sipping for days…
Looks delicious, and is super cute
Yummers! looks so refreshing
Looks delicious
Is this the same one i saw on pinterest! I want those straws!
I will try it!
lovely way to beat the heat!
Hello summer!!!
http://www.simplythoughtz.com
woww!! looks delish!!!!
Huge thanks to everyone who’s been so kind to write nice comments about my post on Raspberry-Basil Italian Sodas. I hope I have inspired you to try the rosemary-basil syrup or to make your very own flavor concoction. Also, welcome to all of my new followers. I hope you enjoy my blog and I thank you for allowing me to share my passion with you.
daisy
P.S. I have read a few comments here and on other social media sites about the straws I used. I purchased them from Cost Plus World Market. They come in a variety of fun colors.
Great I like ^^
Everybody say “oooh so gooood!” I am making this fo rme and my Mom!!!
WOW! Looks so good, can’t wait to try it!
Looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it!
This looks fabulous for a warm summer day — thanks for sharing!
Just awesome and refreshing.
i love herbs in drinks!! white wine sangria with a bit of thyme is great too! this looks gorgeous and delicious!!
Love it miss Italy soooo much!
Reblogged this on Thisbeautifullife.
Reblogged this on Thisbeautifullife and commented:
So adorable.
Reblogged this on Thisbeautifullife and commented:
Excellent choices!
Reblogged this on Thisbeautifullife and commented:
This looks delicious and refreshing! Must try.
When do you add the alcohol?
Sounds delicious!
Reblogged this on Jan Deelstra and commented:
Daisy’s World is a refreshingly delicious blogsite!
These look fantastic! What a wonderful idea! I can’t wait to sip on one whilst lounging on the deck, sporting a wide-rimmed sunhat, reading a hilarious book.
Congrats on making it to the wordpress website! Your photography is awesome, you should be proud! Loved that you mentioned San Francisco, one of my favorite cities.
Thanks for visiting and for the kind words.
daisy
tasty. hmmm.
wow. it looks tasty. hmmm.
YUM! And I love the straws!
That sounds incredible, thank you for posting. Might have a go with vodka added for a bbq.
Reblogged this on Summer and commented:
I really want to try making this! Perfect drink for summer and chalet!
Mmmm, sounds delicious! I put basil in my last strawberry pineapple smoothie and there was something very refreshing about it. Basil tends to wake things up! Thanks for sharing-I can’t wait to try your recipe!
I love this! There is nothing as refreshing as a sparkling soda esp. homemade. I also make ginger syrup for a ginger flavored soda. Yum!
sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sweet and delicious
My favorite drink
OMG this looks SO SO SO SO GOOOD !!!! The colour of the cocktail makes it even more appealing oalalala !!!! Must be delicious
http://www.liveyoungabroad.com
Its summer afternoon here in India and this beautiful picture of chilled and colorful soda certainly seems the most appropriate and satisfying one to look at!
With our current temps of 40C that looks so refreshing 8)
Hi, thans for sharing your recipe!
Delicioso…
Looks Delicious!
I like what is going on here, when I was a kid, my mom used to take me to some cafe in seattle where I could get an Italian soda, I liked blackberry myself, I digress a welcome reminder to the pleasure of DIY sodas and San Francisco Italians. Thanks.
Oooh, blackberry! Might have to try that next.
daisy
Hi, thans for sharing your recipe!
These look great, I bet they taste even better!
Must try it!
It looks so delicious. I have to get the ingredients and try that one soon.
I like nice post, cool
Great photos. Lovely post. And these look like something I could actually make myself. Cheers!
Thanks, Jody! It’s really easy to make and you can use your favorite fruit. Have fun with it.
daisy
That’s yummy!
I am so thirsty just looking at it!
Reblogged this on Secretele bucatariei Joy. and commented:
O bautura fresh cu aroma de zmeura si busuioc….si multe bule!
This looks so summery and delicious!
We have become a fan of Italian sodas, not as sugary tasting as soda. However they are still a little pricey for what is in them. Wonder if I could make the soda too? Great shot of the drinks. Making my mouth water
You photography is beautiful. I’ve never had an Italian Soda – might make it with coconut cream!
Looks good!!! Time for a snack!!!
This sounds so delicious. The taste of basil mixed with sweet tastes is amazing.
super trouper!
I feel so refreshed just having to look at this bright, raspberry-chilled post. The photo takes me to cool memories. Thanks.
Beautiful photography. Great recipe for a summer’s eve.
Wonderful photo. Makes me so instantly thirsty. The nice thing is that I have never even heard of strawberry basil anything. So I am very excited to try this. Excellent blogging!
Thank you, Angelique, for your nice comments! I hope you like the raspberry-basil flavor or try it with your favorite berry.
daisy
Omgeee I need that in my life!
Reblogged this on Scoop of Knowledge and commented:
Wow, this looks like a great, refreshing treat for a hot summer’s day! View the blog at daisyt13.wordpress.com. What do you think of this here fine beverage?
Thanks for sahring….
Summer coming now and Italian soda will be necessary in summer…
Mmmm, looks great!
ahhhh! that is refreshing!
It looks so tasty and the pictures really pretty!
Thanks, Jessica!
daisy
Your ‘Kitchen Artistry’ page is gorgeous!!! No need for me to have to think about choices though: The orange, hazelnut pull-apart bread and the peanut butter cupcakes win hands down!!!
Thanks! I hope you make those two treats. Let me know how you like them and how you adapted them to your own taste.
daisy
Sounds scrumptious!!! Thanks for sharing. And congratulations on being “Freshly Pressed.”
Sounds delicious! Can’t wait to try this one and impress my friends
They look amazing
Wow that looks so tempting!!
Beautiful. Even the name makes me thirsty.
These are so beautiful!! My little sister had a gorgeous bar in her wedding venue, and had an Italian soda bar. So much cheaper than alcohol! These would be wonderful for an Italian themed party.
That sounds really good!
Hej, im an “italian-abroad”, but I have never heard about italian cream soda.. what is it? thanks.
btw, it seems delicious and super refreshing!
Reblogged this on @Valleyreagent and commented:
The drink sound delicious.. and it’s adorable, right down the straws. Thanks for this post! I will be using this recipe this summer
Sounds tasty, can’t wait to make some myself! Thanks for sharing.
My mom used to make me italian soda floats, which just her pouring an italian soda over ice cream. Try it out…its delicious!
this looks/sounds amazing
Yes…I want to try these.
Congrats on being FRESHLY PRESSED! Your recipes are always delightful and I hope everyone who views this post will scroll to your previous posts and see them too. very happy for you!
Reblogged this on TEES AND MORE and commented:
Have to try it… Sounds so yummyyyy
Reblogged this on LifeDelicacy's Blog and commented:
Intriguing combination for cream-soda!
Yummm! This recipe sounds so amazing!!!
Looks delish!
Lately at our house, we’ve been making basil lemonade spritzers. Lemonade (from my corner store, TJ’s), poured into a pitcher over some chopped up basil. Steep in the fridge for a couple of hours, or days. Use a strainer to pour into a glass, and then add plain soda water. So refreshing.
I can’t wait to try your recipe. It sounds scrumptious!
Thanks for the lemonade tip. Must try it soon.
daisy
The art in the header (and other photos) is as delicious as the recipes sported. Your own artwork, or which professional?
Oh, yum. I love Italian sodas– hate the so-sweet grocery store types. Now must make this! I shared a link on my fave cooking forum, I know they’ll want this, too.
Nice!
…I would only add to your ingredients list:
1 (or more) splash of vodka
Gorgeous photos and fun recipe!
Looks absolutely delicious and perfect for the summer! The photo inspires me to go out and get some fun-colored straws!
Beautiful, lush looking summer drinks! I’ll remember this one once it gets hot around these parts! xo Smidge
Such a beautiful photograph! When I was a little girl, my mother used to make raspberry syrup. My favorite thing in the world was adding the syrup to seltzer (in NYC we used to get seltzer deliveries every week). Discovering Italian sodas as an adult was wonderful. I love the touch of cream. Have you tried the orange Italian sodas? They taste just like creamsicles!
I’ve never made orange Italian sodas from homemade syrup, but I will have to do that since I had stocked up on blood oranges, juiced them and froze them for occasions such as these. I have to confess, I buy the blood orange Italian sodas at Trader Joe’s. They’re so good! I know Whole Foods has made its way to London, but has Trader Joes?
Sadly no. Whenever I go back I stock up on treats, which I then hoard and nibble as long as I can get them to last (er, about two weeks).
Cream sodas are my favorite type of soda. This looks gorgeous and delicious. I might want to try this one.
Gorgeous! And so is your blog so I’m a new follower – expect lots of comments from me
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Welcome and thanks for reading my blog, Choc Chip! I hope you enjoy browsing through my posts.
daisy
Beautiful!
I love that photo; it’s excuse enough to have a party. Pop art soda! And those straws look so fun too.
Easy, beautiful and delicious. Thanks for reminding me of this treat.