I’ve got a nasty sinus infection and all I want is pho, graham crackers, buttery movie popcorn, dr.pepper and Italian soda. It seems like I get one of these every year around this time…right when allergy season is in full force. They always come on so suddenly and before I know it, I’m in my sweatpants from 12th grade, hugging my cat with piles of tissues surrounding me.
Thank goodness I have a cat that loves to cuddle. Now if I could only train him to get me Thai take-out….
I know I’ve told you guys about my love affair with Italian sodas before….about how they remind me of walking to British Literature class in Charleston because my route always took me right past the best little coffee shop (at the bottom of the Francis Marion hotel before it turned to Starbucks!) that made every flavor of Italian soda under the sun and had crunchy ice to boot! It’s all about the crunchy ice.
Italian sodas are super easy to make at home, you just need to prepare some fruity simple syrup and have some sparkling water on hand.
I chose fresh strawberries and rhubarb because I spotted some of both at the farmer’s market last week that were just begging to be used in something fruity and fun.
To make the simple syrup, I just sliced up a carton of strawberries along with two large stalks rhubarb and placed them in a pot with a cup and a half of sugar and a cup and a half of water. The general rule for simple syrup is using the same amount of water and sugar.
Twenty minutes later and I had this gorgeous ruby-colored syrup, perfect for my Italian soda!
Other great uses for this simple syrup would be using it to make Strawberry Rhubarb Margaritas! Just add in about two ounces of this syrup to your tequila along with triple sec, lime juice and ice. Perfect for Cinco de Mayo, no?
But since I’ve been home nursing my sinus infection, it’s Italian sodas for me.
Strawberry Rhubarb Italian Sodas
makes about 2 cups simple syrup, good for about 8 drinks
Ingredients:
2 large stalks rhubarb, chopped
16 oz fresh strawberries, sliced
1.5 cups water
1.5 cups sugar
drop of red food coloring (optional)
sparkling water for serving
Directions:
Combine rhubarb, strawberries, water and sugar in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until fruit has broken up. Add red food coloring if you wish. Strain syrup twice, once through a colander and once through a sifter. You can keep the fruit you strained out—it’s perfect to top pancakes or waffles with!
Place double strained syrup in a jar and let chill thoroughly.
To assemble sodas, fill a glass with sparkling water and ice. Add 1/4-1/3 cup simple syrup (depending on how sweet you like your soda). Enjoy!
**You can also use this simple syrup to make Strawberry Rhubarb Margaritas! Yum.
Time:
3 hours (includes time to chill simple syrup)
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{ 69 comments… read them below or add one }
Hope your sinus infection clears up and this should help…it looks wonderful, Jenna.
Love the making margaritas out of it idea
Oh noes, a sinus infection. that’s terrible. hopefully you’ll be better soon lady!
These sound delicious! Perfect for summer! I would love to make this syrup for Margaritas this weekend! Thanks for sharing!
oh yum! and i totally remember that coffee shop in charleston. i miss it down there.
My allergies are horrible right now, so I feel ya.. That strawberry/rhubarb mix looks gorgeous – I love the color!
I bet that would make a delicious margarita. Rhubarb is so underrated.
i’m fighting the same thing. no fun. this sda and some pho sounds like a great remedy!
Hope you feel better soon! Is Adam nursing you back to health? lol Guys are never really good at that are they?
Holy photos. I don’t know how you do it but you seem to one-up ever post with such vibrant pictures.
I really miss the south and all the coffee shops that sold italian soda. They are not as common here on the west coast. I really want to give this a try. Sounds delicious!!
Crunchy ice makes all the difference, that’s for sure. This looks DELICIOUS! I’ll have to keep it in mind as a perfect summer cool down!
These look stellar! Yum!
Same sinus infection thing happens to me when the allergens start getting heavy….feel better!
I’ve never worked with rhubarb – it scares me a little bit just because I’ve never really dealt with it. But for this? I think I could absolutely get over that fear!
Hope you feel better soon Jenna!
These photos are gorgeous. I simply love your food styling and photography. Your shots get me every.single.time. Thanks always. xo
Hope you feel better soon Jenna!
These photos are gorgeous. I simply love your food styling and photography. Your shots get me every.single.time. Thanks always.
Feel better soon Jenna! Your Italian soda looks like it could cure anything though!
Your drinks always look so darn delicious! Feel better!
WHOA these look amazing!!
I’m all over these beauties!! I have a feeling I’m going to be enjoying about cinco of these on my de Mayo!
Sounds like such a great drink for the summer!
absolutely amazinggggg! I love strawberry and rhubarb–and I need a sip of this right about now!
looks delicious-hope you feel better! sinus infections are the worst.
these look SO GOOD!!! i will be making them ASAP, seeing as how it’s already feeling like summer here in Texas!!
Feel better soon!
What a beautiful drink! And I’m loving the idea of making margaritas out of this!
Love these!
I had the same sore throat-turned into sinus infection thing. The worst part is (do you really want to know?): the cough doesn’t go away for 2 weeks. Even after you start feeling better, you get the urge to cough everytime you open your mouth. I finally shook it for good, took almost 2 weeks!
I love that you’re always doing something original on your blog. When everyone is doing s’mores, you’re not. When everyone is obsessing over cookie butter, you’re not. I want you to know that I look up to you and I try to do the same thing with my blog! You’re inspirational
Feel better soon!
xo
I just finished still Alice. I started it yesterday and finished this morning. Gread recommendation girl. Love when you review books because I know I will love them. Hope you get to feeling better!
This really is simple to make! Great recipe! And I hope you’re feeling better!!
Feel better soon, Jenna! I love the simplicity of Italian sodas. Yum.
I am SO in the same boat as you Jenna. Being sick is no fun at all….but just looking at these makes me perk up! And I have rhubarb in the garden, how convenient
We have four rhubarb plants! I know what I am making!
Oh this looks so good! Love Italian sodas…I particularly like blood orange Italian soda! Could you give us a recipe for using this syrup in a Margarita? I have never really made them and don’t know the proportions of the ingredients you mentioned….
Isn’t it funny how sinus infections make you crave pho? I think the combination of warm broth and the spiciniess somehow seems particularly soothing…I totally crave pho when I am sick too.
Try a steam therapy for your sinus infection – totally clears you up. I feel your pain, currently writing w/ a box of tissues
Looks wonderful!
oooooh! That looks fantastic. We’ll definitely try the simple syrup in a margarita. YUM!
I’ve only had one sinus infection in my life and it was the worst pain ever!! Hope you feel better soon!
I actually made something very similar to this last year during Rhubarb season. It’s so good! Perfect for relaxing or if you need a cold fruity drink to make you feel better.
Oh man, I too am nursing one nasty sinus infection and ear infection. These look amazing. I will have to ask the boy to make the simple syrup tonight! Pho is totally my go to when sick food! Feel better!
Bummer! Hope you feel better:)
As for me, I am feeling great so I might have to have a strawberry rhubarb marg for you!
Oh, and I also think there is no substitute for crunchy ice!
Yum!! I am loving anything with strawberries right now. A friend gave me homemade strawberry jam yesterday, and it’s just SO good!!
I have not had an Italian soda in YEARS! My friends and I in high school would go to this coffee shop…I always got vanilla caramel with cream and whipped cream on top. Sooo delicious! Thanks for the stroll down memory lane
And the margaritas….mmm…can’t wait for cinco de mayo! So creative adding the rhubarb for a seasonal drink. Love it!
Yum! I am loving strawberries right now. And this looks delicious!
so summery and fresh! I can’t wait to make these for my friends. They are beautiful!
I’m sorry you’re feeling so sick! I just had to switch my allergy meds because mine were so bad this year. I hope you feel better soon. These look absolutely beautiful! I would have never thought about rhubarb in italian soda.
Jenna these look amazing, I have to try this!!!
these would be killer for Cinco de Mayo! Perfect.
Hope you fell better soon, those can be so frustrating.
I just pre-ordered your book and I can’t hardly wait to read it! You are truly an inspiration
keep it up!
huge fan!
I love your pics!!! This looks awesome!
Have you tried a Netti pot for the sinus infection? I used to get them all the time and it really helped me with both sinus infections and allergies. Freaky and weird to use at first, but it’s not THAT bad….
I’m always looking for new ways to use rhubarb, because I think it’s so pretty. I’m so making this for an upcoming garden potluck!
I have only had rhubarb once before until this weekend when I had it in wine form and atop another cocktail at a wedding. It seems kind of intimidating, anything special that you have to do with the rhubarb to wash it or anything?
Italian soda is so delicious. Your plan for recuperation sounds top notch.
If you are ever in Arizona (the Phx area)…you HAVE to try Hava Java (it’s my version of your Flying Goat Coffee). It’s located on 32nd street and Camelback (write it down! write it down!). Their espresso blend is truly the best I’ve ever had and it is by far the best iced white chocolate latte I’ve ever had. My little brother adores their italian sodas. You’d also love their chocolate croissants and probably everything about the little shop down to the artwork that they put on the walls.
This looks lovely! Yum!
Have you ever used a neti pot? The same thing used to happen to me (sinus infection at the beginning of allergy season, and after I had a cold of any kind)- since I started using a neti pot I haven’t gotten a single sinus infection.
These look delish! I too loved Port City Java when I was a student at CofC. I lived in the New Building (aptly called because the first year I lived there was its first year of existence) and it was just around the corner!
Yum! You’ve got me thinking about other flavors I could do this summer! (I think this would be delicious in some iced tea, too!)
I love me an Italian soda… and a homemade strawberry margarita! Feel better!
This looks like a sensational strawberry recipe. I’m so eager to try it!
That looks great! Thanks for the recipe.
I have been wanting to make some infused simple syrups for teas and cocktails….this looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing.
Hope you feel better soon, Jenna! In the meantime, just enjoy drinking these delish-looking italian sodas. They look great!
I hope you feel better soon! The syrup looks delish and just in time for Mothers Day! Thanks for sharing.
My students are awesome this year, so things are going really well. I love it when my students are excited about learning and work diligently in class.
I hope your sinus infection clears up. No fun!
Katherine
I went to CofC too and still live in Charleston. I was just at the Francis Marion Hotel for work related things yesterday. I have only ever known that Starbucks to be a Starbucks…I’m bummed I never got to experience “the best little coffee shop”
This recipe looks fantastic…so fresh and colorful! I am actually hosting a rhubarb linky party at 2sisters2cities.com as part of our Fresh Produce Tuesday series. I would love if you submitted this recipe!
-m
This looks incredible! Hope you feel better soon.
…what a fantastic idea to use up rhubarb! ;D
I made this syrup for margaritas yesterday…YUM! It was a huge hit. And the best part was the leftover fruit…just like strawberry rhubarb pie filling! Thanks for the tip!
I love the strawberr rhubarb combo! It goes perfectly together from everything from pie to this!
These look so good. When I was little, my dad would always take us to this coffee shop for Italian sodas. My absolute fave was creme de menthe with a splash of cream. So good.
This is probably the best thing that has ever happened to me. This was sooooooo good! Thanks for sharing the recipe! I blogged about it over here: http://thefoodcharlatan.com/2013/05/17/strawberry-rhubarb-italian-sodas/
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