I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like Italian sodas. Who doesn’t love going to an old-timey diner, sitting on a stool at the counter and ordering a burger, fries and raspberry Italian soda? It just makes you feel like a kid again, and if you’re actually a kid, it just makes you feel important. I think that’s why I love making Italian sodas for Greta. When I give it to her and say, “Here Greta, I made this for you.” She always gets a big smile on her face and say, “Oh! Thanks dad!” And dons her biggest smile.

Tender parent moment. Single tear shed, wiped away, time to get down to business. Making an Italian soda is no more difficult than pouring regular soda into a glass with ice – there are just three things you pour, instead of one. Let’s go over ingredients.

First, the “soda” part. A lot of people use Sprite or 7-Up. Personally, I think this makes the sodas too sweet but feel free to use either one if you want. My favorite is this:

San Pellegrino Sparkling Mineral Water. It tastes horrible on its own (my opinion), but is perfect for a light, fizzy Italian soda. You can buy it in just about any grocery store, or on Amazon here.

Next, the cream part. …um… it’s literally just cream. Like, heavy cream, whipping cream, whatever your grocer calls it.

The final thing to add is your flavored syrup. Torani is what I use, and probably what 90% of the world uses.

My personal fave is the raspberry, but the peach is also good. As is the cherry lime, huckleberry, and just about any other flavor they offer. Can’t go wrong. You can also find Torani syrup in most grocery stores.

So, recap. Here’s what you need:
• San Pellegrino Sparkling Mineral Water (or Sprite or 7-Up if you prefer)
• Torani Flavored Syrup
• Heavy Cream
• Ice

Put your ice in a glass, add about 3 Tablespoons of your syrup (less if using Sprite or 7-Up), 2 Tablespoons of heave cream, then fill your glass with the sparkling mineral water (about 1-1.5 cups). I mix mine together before serving, but you can just give it to people as is and let them stir it.

Now I know this doesn’t seem like anything special. But how often do you make them for yourself? I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again – “special” doesn’t have to be difficult. It just has to be different from the norm. It just has to have a little more effort. So have some peeps over and mix up some Italian sodas. Or, better yet, get a bunch of syrups and set everything out and let people make their own. They’re the perfect drink for a summertime evening barbecue and everyone will love them.

Cheers, folks! See ya’z tomorrow.