Gin-style Juniper Soda (First soda ever.)

[RobWalker]

Never made soda before as the idea is practically non existent in the UK, and I barely ever drink commercial soda because of the price, chemical and sugar content, and it just generally tastes awful to me. However after some useful tips on this forum I knocked this up.

3tbsp juniper berries
1 cinnamon stick
juice and rind of 1 lemon
2 cloves
2 cardamom pods
1 bay leaf
200g sugar
boiling water to 1 (UK) gallon

Crushed all, infused overnight and bottled in the morning with wine yeast. I put the bottles in the fridge as they hardened up, and after 12 hours they seem well carbonated.

It's good! Certainly in the ballpark of what I want, but it lacks in acidity and maybe bitterness/tannin? Was hoping the Juniper would be bitter, but I guess not. It's really drinkable though, and nice to chill out with rather than guzzle. I'll be making many more kinds of soda in future.

Cheers!!

 

[aruzinsky]

Never made soda before as the idea is practically non existent in the UK, and I barely ever drink commercial soda because of the price, chemical and sugar content, and it just generally tastes awful to me. However after some useful tips on this forum I knocked this up.

3tbsp juniper berries
1 cinnamon stick
juice and rind of 1 lemon
2 cloves
2 cardamom pods
1 bay leaf
200g sugar
boiling water to 1 (UK) gallon

Crushed all, infused overnight and bottled in the morning with wine yeast. I put the bottles in the fridge as they hardened up, and after 12 hours they seem well carbonated.

It's good! Certainly in the ballpark of what I want, but it lacks in acidity and maybe bitterness/tannin? Was hoping the Juniper would be bitter, but I guess not. It's really drinkable though, and nice to chill out with rather than guzzle. I'll be making many more kinds of soda in future.

Cheers!!

Did it taste like gin?

I am surprised that the price of soda is high in the UK because, in the Chicago area, the "on sale" price for a 2 liter bottle of soda is most typically $1 and that hasn't changed for the last decade. I live in an area with a relatively large number of very competitive supermarkets therefore I can buy almost any popular brand of soda for 0.50 $/liter almost any time I want. At the current exchange rate of 0.64 £/$, that's 0.32 £/liter which is much cheaper than homemade soda. What is the most typical "on sale" price of soda where you live?

 

[NickTheGreat]

Interesting. So with the yeast, is this alcoholic?

 

[RobWalker]

Did it taste like gin?

I am surprised that the price of soda is high in the UK because, in the Chicago area, the "on sale" price for a 2 liter bottle of soda is most typically $1 and that hasn't changed for the last decade. I live in an area with a relatively large number of very competitive supermarkets therefore I can buy almost any popular brand of soda for 0.50 $/liter almost any time I want. At the current exchange rate of 0.64 £/$, that's 0.32 £/liter which is much cheaper than homemade soda. What is the most typical "on sale" price of soda where you live?

I'm not sure if supermarkets work the same over there, but usually you can pick something up when it's on offer for £1/2L ($1.55) - Cola, Pepsi, 7up, Fanta, Tango etc. Otherwise it's between £1.80 & £2.50 for 2L (convenience stores are higher priced than big supermarkets usually, even if it's the same chain.) However, I was erring in the direction of buying anything decent as I don't like the stuff listed above - I'm talking all natural, real ingredients, etc - including cordials - it's both expensive and hard to find decent stuff, with a 330ml usually costing about £1.20 maybe.

It tastes more like Juniper than Gin. mostly it's lacking the dry punch and maturity of a good gin, but then, this is only the first attempt. my next step for sure would be to add some bitterness.

Nick - Yes, very slightly. I've been thinking about this all day and came to the conclusion that the alcohol level must be that of fermented priming sugar in regular beer brewing, so I can only conclude via logic and nothing else that;

2.0 vols co2
4.5L (UK gallon)
Priming sugar required for 2.0 vols = 22g
= 1.002 gravity, fermented down two points, = 0.25% abv.

Hopefully that makes sense, that's just the quantity of sugar that actually ferments and not the overall sugar content of the brew.

 

[NickTheGreat]

Makes sense. It doesn't really matter to me, I was just curious.

I like gin, especially Tanqueray, so I am intrigued by your soda