An Italian Soda is a classic, refreshing drink that’s easy to make with 3 ingredients! We’re sharing the details on how to make an Italian soda recipe. Our favorite flavor combinations and two of the best Italian soda recipes!
This drink is one of my absolute favorite summertime treats! They’re refreshing, flavorful, and oh-so-easy to make. And the best part? You can customize them and use your favorite flavors!
If you love serving fun drinks at parties try our agua fresca recipes, virgin piƱa coladas, and our lemon lime spritz!
Growing up, this was my favorite summer treat. My mom and I would always stop by a little coffee shack called Coffee Heaven on our road trips to Oregon. I remember ordering Italian blueberry soda instead of ice cream because they were so refreshing.
What’s in an Italian Soda?
You might be wondering, what exactly is in an Italian soda? It’s a drink made of club soda and flavored syrup often served with cream (aka Italian cream soda).
This tasty concoction was invented by Torani, the San Francisco-based syrup company. Rinaldo and Ezilda Torre were the first to create the term āItalian sodaā in 1925.
So, what’s the secret to this delicious drink? The key ingredient is, of course, the flavored syrup. You can find a variety of syrups on the market, ranging from classic flavors like strawberry and chocolate to more unique options like lavender and almond.
Once you’ve chosen your syrup, simply add a few pumps to a glass of club soda and enjoy. If you’re feeling fancy, you can top it off with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.
If you don’t want to go through the hassle of making your syrup, you can use syrup from the store. Torani syrup works perfectly!
These sodas are the perfect summer drink. Now let’s make some!
Italian Soda Video Recipe:
Looking for more drinks to make at home? Try our berry lemonade and our freshly made watermelon juice.
How To Make Italian Sodas
These are easy drinks to make using seltzer water, a bit of heavy cream, and sweet syrups. Use different flavors to create your fun drink!
The full recipe is in the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes
- Flavored Syrup – This can be homemade or already made, like Torani. There are a variety of flavors that you can use!
- Cream – Half and half, heavy cream, or heavy whipping cream all work well.
- Sparkling Water – Club soda or seltzer water works. Suppose you have a soda maker that works really well too. Any type of carbonated water is good.
Steps on How To Make Italian Soda
- Fill a tall glass with ice and pour in the syrup. Add more syrup for extra flavor.
- Add the soda water over the top.
- Next, pour in the cream and then stir it. This will make a delicious creamy drink.
- Garnish with fresh berries.
Homemade Italian Soda Syrup
The homemade syrup is simple syrup. You can make any flavor you want using sugar, whatever, and fresh seasonal fruit or spices. Homemade syrups are pretty easy to make too!
I store them in these inexpensive glass bottles, and they work perfectly.
If you don’t want to make your own, you can also use flavored syrups like Torani syrups or Monin.
Ingredients
- Granulated Sugar – This is used to sweeten the syrup.
- Water – Used to dilute the sugar and create a syrup.
- Berries – We used fresh strawberries and blueberries. Raspberries would be great too.
Directions
- To make the homemade syrup add 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup of berries (your choice) into a saucepan.
- On medium heat, allow the sugar to dissolve into the water. Add in the berries and continue to simmer for at least 10 minutes until the berries are soft.
- Remove from the heat and let the syrup sit for another 5 minutes. Strain the mixture through a mesh sieve – keep the juice and discard the berries.
- Let the mixture cool before using. It will stay fresh for a few days in the fridge.
Try our homemade hibiscus simple syrup, simple cranberry syrup, and gingerbread syrup or honey simple syrup.
Tips For Making This Italian Soda Recipe
- Let the simple syrup cool before mixing in.
- Use the freshest fruit available.
- Use a generous amount of ice.
- Garnish with berries.
- You can use whole milk for these sodas too.
- Add an extra splash of cream if you prefer.
Italian Soda Flavors
The flavor combinations are endless when making an Italian soda with cream! You can mix flavors to create delicious combinations. Here are some of the best Italian soda flavors:
- Berries: Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries
- Cranberry – It would be great with our simple cranberry syrup and for a holiday party.
- Peaches, Apples, Pear
- Lavender, Rosemary, Mint
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon
- Gingerbread
- Caramel
- Orange
Different Types of Sparkling Water You Can Use
Soda Water – Carbonated water that contains no sodium. It is often used in place of regular water or soda.
Mineral water – contains minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and sodium. It is often used in place of regular water or soda.
Club soda – Club soda is carbonated water that contains sodium. It is often used in place of regular water or soda.
Seltzer Water – carbonated water that contains no sodium. It is often used in place of regular water or soda.
Favorite Italian Soda Flavor Combinations
Try any of these syrup flavors! There are our favorite flavors and combinations:
Pear and Vanilla – Nothing better than a pear and vanilla combo.
Lavender and Peaches – The perfect summer combination.
Caramel and Cinnamon – Another favorite and great year-round.
Cherry and Lime – Make this when cherries are in season. You can also do raspberry syrup.
Pineapple and Coconut – A pina colada version!
Rosemary and Cranberry – Great for the holidays.
Non-Dairy Italian Soda Recipe
For a non-dairy Italian soda, use coconut cream or a non-dairy heavy cream alternative to replace the cream.
How to Make an Italian Soda Bar
Making an Italian soda bar is a great way to entertain guests or enjoy a refreshing treat on a hot day. All you need is a selection of flavored syrups, club soda, and ice. You can also add some additional toppings like whipped cream, fruit slices, or chocolate chips.
To set up the bar, start by placing the flavored syrups in individual bowls. Then, set out a pitcher of club soda and some glasses. Add ice to the glasses and place them on a tray. Finally, put out any toppings you want to offer.
Invite your guests to choose their favorite syrup and add a few pumps to their glass. Then, they can top off their drink with club soda and add any toppings they like.
Sugar-Free Options
There are sugar-free options for this drink. You can find sugar-free syrups at most grocery stores. When choosing a sugar-free syrup, make sure to check the label to see if it is also gluten-free.
Garnishes
A garnish is typically a fruit slice, candy, chocolate chips, sprinkles, or whipped cream. Here are some more ideas:
- Fruit Slices
- Fresh Berries
- Candy
- Chocolate Chips
- Sprinkles
- Maraschino Cherry
When to Serve
These festive drinks are perfect for many occasions! Create an Italian soda bar where guests can make their sodas and mix flavors. Here are some occasions you can serve this:
Summer BBQ’s
Birthday Party they’re also perfect for a last-minute birthday party!
Serve them with our fun Italian Cookies too!
Frequently Asked Questions
An Italian soda is a soft drink made from carbonated water, cream, and simple flavored syrup.
Flavors can beĀ fruit, herbs, or spices. The flavors are inspired by desserts or other beverages, such as amaretto or chocolate.
The soda is a mixture of cream, sparkling water, and whatever flavor syrup you want to use. If you’ve had a cream popsicle, it tastes like that. It’s sweetened with a creamy flavor and carbonation from sparkling water.
Italian sodas are made with syrup, carbonated water, and cream. They do not contain caffeine like regular sodas, and they are freshly made. They also look different from the cream, and you can make as many flavors as you want.
There are a few different types of cream you can use to make Italian sodas, but the most popular option is heavy cream. You can also use half and half, and if you’re looking for a lighter option, you can use milk instead.
The cost of making an Italian soda will vary depending on your ingredients. However, the average cost is around $0.50-$0.75 per drink.
This refreshing drink is typically served in a tall glass with ice. You can also garnish your drink with fruit slices, chocolate chips, or sprinkles.
Yes, Italian soda is a gluten-free recipe.
How Much Does it Cost to Make an Italian Soda at Home?
Making an Italian soda at home is a lot cheaper than buying one in the store. On average, it costs about $1-$2 per 12-ounce glass. The ingredients you’ll need are just seltzer water, ice cubes, flavored syrup, and cream if desired.
You can buy a liter of seltzer for around $0.50, and flavored syrups typically range from $6-$7 for a 750 ml bottle. This amount will make at least 12 glasses of Italian sodas. Adding cream will add about $0.50 more to the cost of each glass.
Check Out More Drink Recipes
If you like this fun drink, try these recipes!
Hydrating Watermelon Cucumber Refresher
Be sure to check out our Strawberry Tequila Sodas and Italian Paloma Cocktail too!
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Italian Sodas
Ingredients
Italian Soda
- 2 ounces syrup, homemade blueberry or strawberry syrup
- 3 ounces club soda, any sparkling water
- 1 ounce cream, heavy cream or half and half
Instructions
Italian Soda
- Fill a glass with ice.
- Pour 1/4 part syrup over the ice.
- Add in the club soda.
- Pour in a small amount of cream and stir.
Notes
Nutrition
This sounds really easy and can’t wait to try it.Always looking for new things to make that everyone would like
wow……..looks delicious will definately will do this.
i cannot believe that i can do recipes from italy sitting in South Africa thanks God for technology……..love it thanks girl
Great article indeed! An example of an alternative to Italian soda that is Italian in origin is a chinotto, a carbonated drink made from the juice of a native Italian citrus fruit called the myrtle-leaved orange or myrtifolia. By the way, thanks so much for your article.
I made the syrup tonight and will make the drinks tomorrow! It tastes wonderful. I kept the remaining cooked strawberries in a separate container to put on pancakes, waffles, crepes, or ice cream (it tastes too good to throw out!)
The best way to serve an Italian soda is in a tall iced glass, with some whipped cream on the top.
amazing! and gorgeous photos… can’t wait to try!
My granny always make it, so delicious!:)
Ummmm! These look lucious! It might be a good idea to use Seltzer rather than Club Soda. The reason being that Club Soda has alot of sodium and many people need to control that intake.
Your entire Blog is delicious!!
This is a great (not to mention terribly simple!) beverage!
One question – Sugar & Charm:
How do you maintain your gorgeousness after indulging in sweets and all? š
Yummy. It looks so delicious. I really want to try this. Look at the color. Amazing.
Wow it makes me thirsty.I like both fruits,
Usually I try various syrups at home but I havenāt tried Italian sodas. It looks lovely and I will try this very soon.
i just tried it.. its amazing.. thnkx
These look delicious. Thanks for the recipe. I’ve never had them before, but I’m going to try them out. They look cute for a party as well.
I also shared them on my blog. If you want to see it, here’s the link http://www.tparties.blogspot.com/2012/10/sweet-of-week-italian-sodas.html
Your blog is super cute. I love Italian Cream Soda and I actually did a blog post about this recipe from your cute site.
Thanks!
Kathy
http://www.LivingMyStyle.com
Thanks Kathy!! Glad you like Sugar and Charm and thank you for blogging about me!!
I don’ think the syrups will stay fresh outside of the refrigerator for very long. There are no preservatives to keep them lasting š
I made these last night using whipping cream and it did a whole root beer float explosion type of thing lol. It foamed up a LOT. Did that happen for anyone else? I didn’t use any ice but other than that I followed the recipe.
After bottling these syrups, how long would they keep unrefrigerated? This is one more thing I’d like to make to sell at craft fairs if it seals good enough to keep for a while to sell?
I love Google because it helps me find lovely sites like your blog!
I’m looking foward to making these.
Thanks for sharing!
*bookmarks site*
Help…When I added (fresh) half – half it became lumpy (curdle). What went wrong, cream was fresh and I followed the directions.