I have always wanted to make pine needle soda but could never find a place to get pine needles. Recently I found a recipe for rosemary soda and decided to try it instead. This was my first time makeing this fermented drink and I didn’t realize how strong the rosemary would be. A little does go a long way. It was a little strong for my liking but I mellowed it out with some fizzy water. After making this soda I tried it again with lavender and it was amazing.

For this recipe you will need about 1/2 cup of herbs, 2 cups of water and 2 tbsp of white sugar. Wash the rosemary well and place in a jar with the water and sugar. Mix well and make sure the rosemary is submerged.

Cover with a lid and place in a cool dark space for 3 days. Fermentation will start happening and you will need to open the lid ever day to release the gas. Make sure to stir the mixture daily. After three days, remove the rosemary and store the drink in your fridge. You can now add this to fizzy water, tea, cocktails or any other drink you want to add a herbal taste. It is quite refreshing on a summer day.

To make a lavender version, take about a 1/2 cup of flowers. I used flowers that were about half bloomed. Mix with 2 cups of water and 2 tbsp of sugar.

Cover and place in a cool dark place. The lavender will tint the water a nice purple hue.

I enjoyed the lavender drink much better. I loved adding some to my lemonade to flavor it and it was also nice added to my tea. I will definitely be making this again. What other herbs or flowers should I try?

Wild Soda

• 1/2 cup of herbs (I used rosemary and lavender)
• 2 cups of water
• 2 tbsp of white sugar

Wash your herbs well. Place the herbs, water and sugar in a jar and mix well. Make sure your herbs are submerged under water. Cover and place in a cool, dark place. Every day open the jar to allow the fermentation gases to release. Shake the jar gently to mix the mixture.The liquid will become fizzy due to fermentation. The wild soda will be ready after three days. After three days, you can remove the herbs and store in the fridge. Add to teas, fizzy water, lemonade or cocktails. This adds a nice herbal/floral note to your drinks. Try other herbs or edible flowers. Enjoy.

For more recipes: Recipe List