GONE SOFT The Brewer’s Guide to Soft Drinks
By Ethan Allen Smith
A British Coffeehouse, artist unknown, mid-seventeenth century
HISTORY In the middle of the 13th century, English
Cryste” was a sweetened cordial flavored
traders brought home with them knowl-
with rosewater, violets, and cinnamon.
edge of a brewed drink from Arabia, called
Highly flavored and syrupy, these were
sharbat. Unlike beers or wines, sharbat is
marketed for their supposed healing prop-
consumed before the ingredients became
erties or brought out on special occasions
highly alcoholic. Brewed in England as a
as an alternative to wine.
“light mead” using dandelion and burdock
Through the eighteenth century, brewed
root, it was instantly popular as a non-alco-
lemonade made its way to through Europe.
holic (or “soft”) drink.
Made from freshly squeezed lemons and
In the seventeenth century, as trade
sweetened with sugar or honey, it was often
began to flood Europe with new tastes from
diluted and served chilled. Orangeade also
around the globe, non-alcoholic drinks
became popular as it gave growers a use for
became immensely fashionable. Previously,
their more bitter orange harvests.
drinks like sharbet, kola, cacao, coffee, and
In the 1770’s, an English apothecary,
tea had been enjoyed only by nobles and
Thomas Henry, first began to create artificial
tradesmen. Sold in English coffeehouses,
mineral waters for sale to the public. By com-
though, these drinks quickly became so
bining mineral salts, carbon dioxide gas, and
wildly popular, it has been estimated that
water, he was able to manufacture a bubbly,
by the end of the century there were more
non-brewed concoction. Almost overnight,
than 2,000 houses in London alone.
naturally brewed soft drinks disappeared, as
Brewers began experimenting with
brewers opted to use the easier and quicker
flavors and ingredients, creating a wide
chemical process of carbonation to add
variety of flavorful soft drinks. “ Water im-
bubbles to their drinks. Called “soda water,”
perial,” for example, was a sweetened drink
it became the primary ingredient for all soft
containing cream of tartar and “Manays
drink manufacturers.
RECIPE Per 16 oz. bottle:
Mix liquid ingredients. While the ingredients can be mixed within the bottles, you
3 ounces simple syrup
will have a more consistent flavor if you mix
10 ounces warm water
everything in a large container beforehand,
1 ounce ginger juice
then transfer your mixture to the bottles
2 ounces fresh lemon juice, finely strained
through a funnel.
champagne yeast Add roughly 25 granules of champagne yeast to each bottle. Yeast is a living organism. It will feed on the sugar to produce CO2, which is how your soft drink will become carbonated. Champagne yeast is less “heavy” than other brewers’ yeasts, allowing your soft drink to remain sweet. Seal the cap securely, shake well. During fermentation, your ingredients will settle. This is okay. You do not need to shake or further mix the drink during the process. Store for exactly 48 hours in a warm, dark place. Do not store in sunlight or your drink will not only become alcoholic, but may burst the bottle. Refrigerate immediately. Refrigeration halts the fermentation process so your soft drink won’t become heavily alcoholic. Once chilled and ready to serve, up-end the bottle to gently mix your drink before pouring. Enjoy!
EXPERIMENT When brewing your own soft drinks, it is
Here are a few suggestions. Remember,
always tempting to re-create the flavors
these recipies are per bottle. Each recipe
we see in the super market. This becomes
still calls for:
immeditely problematic if you want to make a traditionally brewed root beer. As it
3 ounces simple syrup
turns out, root beer’s primary ingredient,
10 ounces warm water
sassafras, is a controlled substance in the
champagne yeast
United States and therefore is illegal use as a drink ingredient. Unless you live where
—
sassafras grows and can pick the root yourself, you will have to use a substitute. Rather than being a burden, however, this should be an opportunity to use
2 ounces fennel juice 1 ounce fresh lemon juice, finely strained 2 large fresh mint leaves
ingredients that are local, immediately available, and naturally grown. Almost any
—
sweet plant will make a fine soft drink. Even a sweet, homegrown batch of tomatos can
2 ounces fresh lime juice, finely strained
make an excellent drink. Don’t believe me?
1 ounce fresh lemon juice, finely strained
You should try it.
2 large fresh mint leaves — 1 ounce sugar beet juice 2 ounces fresh lime juice, finely strained 2 large basil leaves — 1 ounce daikon juice 2 ounces fresh lemon juice, finely strained 2 large basil leaves — 1 ounce yacon juice 2 ounces fresh lime juice, finely strained fresh cinnamon
BUY LOCAL Your best bet for delicious, locally-sourced
5. Get to the market early if you want
ingredients is a farmers market. Typically,
the best pick of the market. They will often
these markets offer foods which are grown
run out of produce by the end of the day.
in smaller batches by farmers who care and
6. Walk the market once through
cultivate their harvest. Not only will you
before you purchase so you can get an
find “exotic” fruits growing right in your
overview of the offerings. Bring a cloth bag
area, but they will almost always be sweeter
that has plenty of room and can hang over
and more flavorful than the foods you find
your shoulder. And never, ever shop on an
at a large grocery store.
empty stomach.
Here are 10 tips for shopping at your
7. Bring cash, especially ones and $5
local farmers market and finding the best
bills. The farmers will really appreciate
ingredients for your own soft drinks.
that. Although a few vendors can take cred-
1. Find a schedule of your local farmers markets and keep one copy on your
it cards, you will be limiting your options. 8. If you have a favorite item, such
fridge and one in your work bag so you can
as fennel or lemon, ask the farmers how
keep track of which days markets happen
they look this year and when they might
near your job, home or commute path.
be coming in so you can plan your bottling
2. Ask a lot of questions. The farmers and sellers are experts and they can point
accordingly. 9. Some farmers charge different pric-
you toward the rights foods at the right
es at different farmers markets. It’s true.
time of year. Get to know your farmers and
See if your favorite farmer at an upscale
establish a relationship. Let them know
market also sells in a less fancy part of
about your plan and ask for specific advice.
town. Chances are the prices drop there.
3. Make a shopping plan before you
10. Some markets sell non-local pro-
go, based on how many bottles you are
duce. If this is a concern, ask. Some areas
planning to brew. Learn how much of a par-
have laws about this, but others don’t. Be
ticular food you have to buy to get an ounce
sure to ask if it’s grown locally.
of juice, and buy accordingly.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ethan Allen Smith is a designer, crafter, father, and soft drink enthusiast. His parents are brewers who craft award winning beers using homegrown ingredients, including hops from their personal garden. years,ofEthan sought out centuexotic and In theFor middle the seventeenth interesting Experimenting ry, Britain’s soft firstdrinks. coffeehouse opened inwith everything from imported African Kola, Oxford. Previously, coffee had been enjoyed non-alcoholic shandy, to traditional only by nobles British and tradesmen. Coffee French limonade. Whileso finding drinking soon became wildlysome popular it wonderful drinks, he missed the culture has been estimated that by the end of the that surrounds traditional alcoholic drinks, century there were more than 2,000 houses especially and “microbrew” beer.cofin London wine alone. It was through these He started brewingwas his own soft drinks feehouses that England introduced to specifically the experience of sharing both tea andfor chocolate them with friends.