I have never been a big fan of soda or pop as that’s what we call it here in Canada. It has always been difficult for me to find a flavour I enjoy, and I know it’s not the best thing to drink regularly, too. But, the idea of making a carbonated tea beverage intrigued me because tea makes everything better! If you love soda or just carbonated drinks in general, you’ll want to give this easy tea soda recipe a try. Plus, with homemade soda you can enjoy a fizzy drink without artificial flavourings and colours. Tea pop or tea soda consists of just two main ingredients: tea simple syrup and carbonated water. Best of all, you can make tea soda with any tea!
Tea soda can be made 1 of 2 ways:
- Add tea concentrate to a glass with ice, filling it about half way. Top the glass with carbonated water.
- Add tea simple syrup to a glass with ice, about one quarter of the way or less. Then top with carbonated water.
The first way is more of a “healthier” version, because little to no sweetener is added. However, that method is more like sparkling iced tea.
When I think of soda or pop a sweet carbonated concoction comes to mind. So, while the second way may not be as “healthy” as the first, it is more of a true soda.
You could argue that it can still be healthier than actual soda though because this way you can control the amount of sweetness and there may be added benefits from the tea leaves. There are also no additives like artificial flavourings or colours.
The Different Types of Carbonated Water
Not all carbonated waters are the same! Carbonated water can occur naturally or it can be created with carbon dioxide (CO2). Here is a look at 4 popular options.
Sparkling Water
Sparkling water is naturally carbonated. It contains minerals such as calcium, sodium, and magnesium.
Seltzer Water
Seltzer water is carbonated with carbon dioxide (CO2). It does not contain minerals and sometimes you may find natural flavours added.
Club Soda
Club soda is artificially carbonated water. It contains minerals, but they do not occur naturally. These additives may include salt and sodium bicarbonate.
Tonic Water
Tonic water is more of a soft drink than water. It contains carbonated water, but it also has added sugar and quinine. The taste can be bitter. It is usually mixed with alcohol for cocktails.
When making tea soda at home, I recommend using Sparkling Water, Seltzer Water or Club Soda.
Teas to Use for Homemade Soda:
You can turn basically any type of tea into a soda! I would recommend trying this recipe out with a tea you already love to enjoy iced. Tea soda is great with flavoured teas or pure teas. Here is a list of ideas:
- Black tea: English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Chai, Keemun
- Green tea: Sencha, Genmaicha, Jasmine, Matcha, Hojicha
- White tea: Silver Needle, White Peony
- Oolong tea: Milk Oolong, Iron Goddess of Mercy, Dan Cong
- Herbal tea: Peppermint, Ginger, Rooibos, Hibiscus
For fun soda flavours, try teas blended with herbs, citrus, berries and other fruit ingredients!
Easy Tea Soda Recipe
Here is what you will need:
2 teaspoons loose leaf tea or 2 tea bags of your choice
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sparkling water
ice
Directions:
Make quick tea simple syrup. Add tea leaves or tea bags to hot water. Cover and let it steep for 5 minutes.
Strain tea leaves or remove tea bags. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Let the tea syrup cool before using.
Make the tea soda. Fill a glass with ice and add 2-3 tablespoons of tea simple syrup. Adjust the amount to your liking. You can always add more syrup, so add a small amount first!
Top the glass with sparkling water.
Lightly stir to mix the tea syrup with the carbonated water. Stirring too much may reduce the carbonation.
Enjoy!
This recipe makes 1 glass of tea soda but you can repeat and make another one right away as there will be extra tea simple syrup.
Depending on the amount used in 1 tea soda, you can make about 2-4 tea sodas with this tea simple syrup.
Store the leftover tea simple syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.
Troubleshooting:
I find the tea soda too sweet. What should I do?
You can adjust the amount of tea simple syrup to taste. However, if you have already made the tea soda and it is still too sweet for your liking simply add more sparkling water. This will dilute the sweetness a bit.
Alternatively, if you tried the tea soda and it’s not sweet enough add more tea syrup!
Tea Soda
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons loose leaf tea or 2 tea bags of your choice
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup sparkling water
- ice
Instructions
- Make a quick tea simple syrup by adding tea leaves or tea bags to hot water. Cover and let it steep for 5 minutes.
- Strain tea leaves or remove tea bags. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Let the tea simple syrup cool before using.
- To make the tea soda, fill a glass with ice and add 2-3 tablespoons of tea simple syrup. Adjust the amount to your liking. You can always add more syrup later, so add a small amount first.
- Top the glass with sparkling water. Lightly stir to mix the tea syrup with the carbonated water. Stirring too much may reduce the carbonation.
- Enjoy!
Notes
-
This recipe makes 1 glass of tea soda but you can repeat and make another one right away as there will be extra tea simple syrup. Depending on the amount used in 1 tea soda, you can make about 2-4 tea sodas with this tea simple syrup.
Store the leftover tea simple syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.
If you want to make a larger batch of tea simple syrup, follow this recipe!
Like this tea soda/tea pop recipe? Pin it for later here –> https://bit.ly/3mLbat8
What tea would you make into a soda/pop first? Let me know your pick in the comments below!
I’ve only tried making tea pop with already brewed tea and adding it to carbonated water (which usually comes out pretty diluted). I will definitely try to make it with the tea syrup! Thanks for the recipe