Paraben Free Cherry Lime Soda

Total time30 min

Prep time10 min

Cook time5 min

4.5

(14)

That deep ruby cherry syrup swirling through a glass of sparkling water and fresh lime juice is genuinely one of the prettiest drinks you can make at home. Many store-bought sodas and flavored sparkling waters sneak in preservatives and synthetic additives that can be a real concern, but this one is built entirely from whole, recognizable ingredients — cherries, honey, lime, and bubbles. The syrup comes together in just one small saucepan, and pressing those softened cherries through a strainer coaxes out every drop of that jewel-toned juice. Honey adds a gentle floral sweetness that plays beautifully against the bright tartness of fresh lime, giving you a flavor that feels sophisticated without any complicated steps. Pouring the sparkling water slowly down the side of the glass keeps the fizz alive, so every sip is as lively as the first. It's the kind of drink that looks like it came from a fancy café but took almost no effort to pull off.

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Ingredients

2 servings

For the cherry syrup

1 cup fresh or frozen sweet cherries, pitted
¼ cup water
2 tbsp honey

For serving

3 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
1 ½ cups sparkling water, chilled
1 cup ice cubes
2 lime wedges (optional)
4 fresh cherries, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1
Combine the pitted cherries, water, and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally and pressing the cherries gently with a spoon, until the cherries have softened and released their juice and the liquid is a deep ruby color, about 5 minutes.
2
Pour the cherry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a small bowl or measuring cup, pressing the solids firmly to extract as much syrup as possible. Discard the solids. Let the cherry syrup cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.

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