Confession: I start every morning with a soda. No, no, not a Coke, or a Pepsi or a “Crack Dew” but a homemade soda made with seltzer from my Sodastream, the most amazing invention EVAH (seriously, how many times can I blog about this product?), cut with a bit of fruit juice. Something about the bubbles does this gal right (to get the full effect of that sentence say it in a nasally Fran Drescher voice from The Nanny).
Lately I’ve been getting a little fancy with my morning libation. Plus it’s October, pretty October, when the mind drifts to cooler weather flavor combinations. Check this fabulous Spiced Ginger-Maple Soda recipe from Denver Post Food Editor Tucker Shaw (this guy knows his soda).
Spiced Ginger-Maple Soda
1 piece ginger, about 2-inches long, finely chopped
3 star anise
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup water
Juice of 1 lemon
Seltzer
Combine ginger, star anise, syrup and water in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until boiling. Remove from heat and set aside to steep for 20 minutes. When cooled, strain out ginger and star anise and add lemon juice.
To serve: Stir together 1/4 cup ginger syrup with 1 cup seltzer, or to taste. Add ice and drink. Serves 3 to 4.
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My mom has one – it’s great and I am sorely tempted to get one myself. My father, not generally one for non-alcoholic libations, recently suggested soda with a hefty shake a bitters as designated driver option. Delicious! It is my new go-to fizzy beverage. I’m generally not a sweet drink girl, but I love ginger – so yours with lower-sugar “simple” syrup would be right up my alley.