Sun Drop
intro
Bright, bubbly homemade Sun Drop is a zesty Southern-style citrus soda with balanced sweet-tart flavor, best served ice-cold on sweltering days.
Ingredients
Steps
Combine and Heat Syrup
In a small saucepan, combine 100g granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon orange zest, 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt, and 60ml (1/4 cup) of the measured orange juice. Heat over medium-low (3/10 heat level) for 3 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until sugar fully dissolves into a thin, fragrant citrus syrup. Do not bring the mixture to a rolling boil to avoid bitter cooked orange flavor.
Strain and Cool Syrup
Remove the syrup from heat, stir in 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a small heatproof glass jar to strain out the orange zest. Let the syrup cool to room temperature (about 20 minutes on the counter), then seal the jar and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours until completely cold.
Combine Syrup and Juices
Once the syrup is fully chilled, combine it in a large 1.5L (6-cup) glass pitcher with the remaining 180ml (3/4 cup) orange juice, 60ml (1/4 cup) lemon juice, 30ml (2 tablespoons) lime juice, and the reserved 1 tablespoon orange pulp. Stir gently with a long bar spoon for 30 seconds to fully mix the citrus base.
Add Ice and Sparkling Water
Add 4 cups of ice cubes to the pitcher, then slowly pour 720ml (3 cups) of ice-cold sparkling water down the inner side of the pitcher to preserve carbonation and prevent overflow. Stir very gently for only 10 seconds to combine—over-stirring will cause the soda to go flat quickly.
Taste and Adjust Flavor
Taste the soda and adjust flavor if needed: stir in 1 tablespoon extra lemon juice for more tartness, or 1 tablespoon extra cold water if the drink is too sweet. Do not add extra granulated sugar at this stage, as it will not dissolve properly in cold liquid and will leave a grainy texture.
Pour, Garnish, and Serve Soda
Pour the finished Sun Drop into 4 tall 475ml (16oz) glasses filled with extra ice, garnish each glass with a thin orange slice slotted over the rim, and serve immediately within 10 minutes of mixing for the best bubbly, fresh texture.
Tips
2.For an adult spiked version, stir 30ml (1 fl oz) of white rum or citrus vodka into each glass before adding the soda for a sunny summer cocktail.
3.Do not substitute bottled shelf-stable citrus juice for fresh squeezed; fresh juice has a bright, sunny zing that matches the classic Sun Drop flavor, while bottled juice tastes flat and overly processed.
OMG this is SO good! I made this for our backyard cookout last weekend and everyone was asking where I bought the fancy craft soda. Tastes exactly like the Sun Drop I grew up drinking but way fresher, no weird syrupy aftertaste. My kids loved it so much they asked me to make a second batch before the party even ended!
Game changer! I’ve been trying to cut back on store-bought soda because of all the weird preservatives, and this is the perfect dupe. It’s so easy too — 15 minutes of prep is nothing, I just popped it in the fridge before my morning run and it was perfectly chilled by lunchtime. 10/10 will be making this weekly for my meal prep.
Brought this to our neighborhood potluck last night and it was gone in 20 minutes flat! I added a little splash of cranberry juice to half the batch for people who like a tarter, fruitier twist, and both versions were a total hit. So easy to scale up for a crowd too, will absolutely be making this again.
Full transparency, I thought homemade soda would be a total flop — I figured it’d be flat or taste like Kool-Aid mixed with seltzer. Boy was I wrong! The orange and lime balance is perfect, and using cold sparkling water right before serving keeps it nice and bubbly for hours. My only note is I wish I’d made a double batch, my roommates drank almost all of it before I got a second glass.
This was so easy to throw together after work! I didn’t have fresh orange juice on hand so I used the no-pulp bottled stuff from my fridge, and it still turned out amazing. My kids kept asking for refills, and I love that I can control how much sugar goes into it instead of the crazy amount in canned soda.
Made this for our day hike last weekend, poured it into insulated water bottles and it stayed cold and bubbly the whole trip. Way better than packing heavy cans, and the citrus hit was so refreshing after a few miles uphill. I added a tiny pinch of salt to bring out the citrus flavor, chef’s kiss.
This tastes EXACTLY like the Sun Drop my grandma used to keep in her garage fridge when I was a kid! I was so worried I’d never find that exact citrus zing once my local grocery store stopped carrying it, but this is spot on. I even added a little extra lime zest like the tip suggested and it’s perfect.
Wait, quick question — can I make this with a SodaStream instead of buying pre-made sparkling water? I have one at home and would love to use it if it works, I don’t want to waste a bunch of bottles.
Obsessed! I served this at my boozy brunch last weekend, set out a little bar with vodka, gin, and fresh fruit garnishes so people could make their own spritzes. It was such a hit, multiple people texted me the next day asking for the recipe. The 2 hour chill time is so worth it, don’t skip that step!
I swapped the regular granulated sugar for monk fruit sweetener to make this low-sugar, and it turned out fantastic! You can barely tell the difference, it still has that bright citrus kick and perfect fizz. Finally a soda I can enjoy without the sugar crash after. Will be making this all summer long.
Taste was great, but I made the mistake of mixing the sparkling water in while the syrup was still warm, and it went totally flat almost immediately. Don’t be like me! Wait for the syrup to cool all the way down before adding anything bubbly, and make sure your seltzer is ice cold. Learned that the hard way!
My teen son is obsessed with those expensive citrus energy drinks, so I made this to see if he’d like it as a cheaper swap. He said it’s way better than the store-bought stuff! I added a tiny bit of food-safe caffeine powder (the kind you use for baking) to make it a little more similar to what he usually drinks, and he’s already asked me to keep a jug in the fridge at all times.
I run a little diner in rural Ohio, and I tested this recipe as a special soda fountain option last week. It sold out every single day! Customers kept saying it tasted like the old-fashioned fountain sodas they got as kids. Super easy to make in big batches, it’s going to be a permanent menu item from now on.