Lemon Lime Soda Syrup Recipe

This one's very simple.

zest of 2 lemons
zest of 2 limes
2 tsp Citric Acid

Boil in 2 Cups water for 10 minutes, and strain.

Put back on stove and dissolve 1 1/2 Cups of white sugar for every 1 Cup of tea.

After cooling, mix syrup with soda water in 1:4 ratio (3 Tablespoons per glass), or more or less to taste.

I searched the internet for recipes for lemon-lime soda syrup, and all the recipes I found included lemon and lime juice mixed with simple syrup. I've always had these ingredients in the bar and I've made many lemon and/or lime sodas by mixing these. These are refreshing drinks, but they are not an adequate substitute for Sprite or 7-Up in cocktails that require them; they're just carbonated lemonade and limeade.

I decided to start with a basic tea of lemon and lime zests and citric acid, then add juice until it tasted right. It turns out that the right amount of juice is none.

Since the recipe didn't call for any bark, roots, nuts, or seeds, I figured it didn't need to boil for the full 20 minutes to extract the flavors. I decided to cut the boil time to 10 minutes (It was probably closer to 8 minutes when I pulled it off the burner).

It was very easy to strain; it went right through the coffee filter.

I used white sugar instead of agave syrup to keep the final syrup as light-colored as possible.

Taste Test

by itself, the syrup tastes remarkably like Froot Loops. Mixed with soda it makes a very convincing substitute for Sprite or 7-Up. I made a cocktail by mixing it with whiskey (a 7-and-7), and I would not have been able to tell it wasn't a commercial soda.