Lemon soda is easy to make at home and irresistibly good! Fresh citrus brings a bright pop that’s infinitely better than store bought.

Lemon Soda

Love citrusy drinks? Then let us introduce you to your new soulmate: this Homemade Lemon Soda! Sure, purchased citrus soda is tasty and refreshing. But make it at home with fresh-squeezed citrus juice and it’s next level! All you need are 3 ingredients and it comes together in a flash. Make it single serving, or as a pitcher for parties. Here’s how to make this incredible drink!

Ingredients in lemon soda

Canned soda versions of lemon soda are tasty, but they can be overly sweet and have artificial flavors added. So try this lemon soda recipe, aka Sparkling Lemonade! It’s bubbly and tangy, with just the right zing of the lemon. It tastes incredibly real, like no store bought version you’ve ever tasted. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

The most important part of this recipe? The fresh squeezed lemon juice. Do not use the artificial lemon juice that comes in a bottle: it doesn’t have the same flavor. (Don’t make that substitute in any recipe, really!)

Lemon Soda

By the glass vs pitcher

You can make DIY lemon soda two ways: by the glass or in a large pitcher! The pitcher is great for entertaining so you don’t need to pour each glass to order. Here’s what to do:

  • By the glass: Add ¼ cup simple syrup and ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, then add 1 cup soda water.
  • Pitcher: Mix up a pitcher that serves 8 1-cup servings. Only do this for a gathering; leftovers don’t last because of the sparkling water.

Cocktails that use lemon soda

Want to use this homemade soda for a cocktail? Great idea. It tastes infinitely better with a DIY soda versus store-bought (trust us: we’ve tested it!). Here are a few cocktails that are traditionally made with lemon soda:

  • Classic Shandy or Summer Shandy: A shandy is a British beer cocktail that mixes beer and sparkling lemonade or ginger ale.
  • Pimm’s Cup This British cocktail is refreshing and bubbly, featuring Pimm’s No. 1 mixed with citrus soda
Lemon Soda

More DIY soda recipes

There are lots of ways to make DIY soda at home! We love making this refreshing, bubbly drink. Here are a few other sparkling drinks:

This lemon soda recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

Print
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Lemon Soda


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 drink 1x

Description

Lemon soda is easy to make at home and irresistibly good! Fresh citrus brings a bright pop that’s infinitely better than store bought.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ounces (¼ cupsimple syrup
  • 2 ounces (¼ cup) fresh lemon juice (1 large or 2 small lemons)
  • 8 ounces (1 cupsoda water

Instructions

  1. Single glass: In the serving glass, stir the simple syrup and lemon juice. Add ice and top with soda water and stir gently to combine. Garnish with lemon wedge and serve with ice (makes 10 ounces or 1 ½ cups).
  2. Pitcher: In a large pitcher, combine 1 ½ cups simple syrup, ½ cups lemon juice, and 6 cups soda water. Add ice and serve (makes 8 1 cup servings).
  • Category: Drink
  • Method: Stirred
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Lemon soda

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you'll want to make again and again.

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