This blood orange soda recipe uses a homemade syrup from fresh blood oranges, a super seasonal fruit! If you’re a fan of citrus, you’re sure to love this Italian soda!
Italian soda isn’t much different from American soda, except that it tends to highlight traditional Italian flavors. Growing up with my Calabrian grandmother, I became obsessed with learning all I could about the unique ingredients from our family’s Italian roots. Citrus fruits are particularly beloved in Italy, and this Italian blood orange soda recipe celebrates the famous Sicilian fruit.
It’s made with a homemade blood orange syrup, which is packed with a citrus punch you’re sure to love, especially if you’re a fan of orange soda! You can customize this recipe to your liking by adding cream, milk, or just enjoying it as a classic soda pop. Looking for more Italian sodas? You’ll love making homemade limonata and fresh Italian grapefruit soda, too!
💕 why you’ll love this blood orange soda recipe…
🍊 bold & citrusy. Blood oranges have a bold color and taste that is citrus forward yet also almost floral. It’s perfect for sipping!
😌 quick & easy. Homemade soda pop is one of my absolute favorite things to make because it’s so easy to customize, and making homemade Italian soda is a super nostalgic treat, even if you didn’t grow up going to soda shoppes!
🤌 unique & impressive. Everybody has heard of orange soda, but just imagine the faces on friends, family, and guests when you tell them you’re serving a homemade blood orange soda!
🛒 ingredients
- blood orange simple syrup – all of the blood orange flavor in this soda comes from this homemade blood orange simple syrup, so take the time to make a batch for the best flavor. Blood oranges are in season from December through April, with the season sometimes stretching from November to May.
- plain seltzer water – bubbles make everything more fun! Make sure to use plain sparkling or seltzer water, not mineral water or club soda, which can have added salt and minerals in it.
- blood oranges – fresh blood oranges make for a stunning garnish in this soda, especially when the slices line the glass. If you’re adding cream or milk though, skip this step, and just use a slice of orange or dehydrated blood orange wheel to garnish your drinks.
- ice – people often overlook the importance of ice as an ingredient in beverage recipes! Sure, it’s not exactly European (seriously, how do they drink warm sodas over there, anyway?!), but ice is a quintessential part of any refreshing beverage. I love using pebble ice for homemade sodas, and sometimes I even make specialty orange ice cubes to match the drink!
optional ingredients:
- cream or milk – Italian sodas often have a generous splash of heavy cream or whole milk, making for a rich and luxurious bubbly treat. Both work well in this recipe, making a sort of blood orange creamsicle drink!
- whipped cream – whipped cream makes everything more fun, it’s a fact! Topping your cream sodas with a dollop of whipped cream is a great way to garnish the drinks, too.
See the recipe card for the exact quantities.
🍳 instructions
1: If garnishing with fresh blood oranges, wash and scrub the oranges to remove any wax, dirt, or debris. Slice thin rounds of the oranges, cutting in half if desired for wedges.
2: Fill a glass halfway with ice, add blood orange slices to the sides of the glass. Then fill the rest of the way with ice.
3: Add the blood orange simple syrup to the glass.
4: Fill the remainder of the glass with sparkling water.
5: Garnish with a slice of blood orange or a dehydrated blood orange wheel.
6: Serve immediately!
Hint: If you want a creamy treat similar to an orange creamsicle, add in 1-2 ounces of heavy cream or whole milk. You can also top with a generous dollop of whipped cream!
💡tips & tricks for getting it right
🍽️ serving tips
Choose your glass
- Pick a glass that is at least 12 ounces in capacity, and up to 16 ounces. The ice takes up a lot of room in the glass, so you’ll need the extra space.
- I like using soda can glasses from Libbey for homemade sodas, or old-fashioned soda fountain glasses from Bormioli Rocco!
Garnish
- line the glass – I love using thin slices of oranges pressed against the glass as a garnish. The light shines through the slices of orange and makes for a beautiful presentation.
- dehydrated oranges – you can also use a dehydrated blood orange wheel to garnish your sodas!
- orange ice cubes – I also love using specialty ice cubes in homemade drinks. These blood orange ice cubes are perfect for this soda!
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- not enough flavor – you can add up to another ounce of blood orange syrup to your soda, and you can also add in a few ounces of blood orange juice to really amp up the flavor.
- use the right sparkling water – make sure to use plain soda water, sparkling water, or seltzer water. You can also use club soda in a pinch, but it tends to have a bit of saltiness to it because of added minerals.
⚖️ scaling tips
Want to scale up the fun? This recipe is perfect for scaling up for a party! You can even use a 2-liter of seltzer water to make your own soda for parties. Try printing your own custom soda pop labels for the bottles!
🔆 top tip
Start with less syrup than you think you need when making your sodas. You can always add more syrup if you want to increase the flavor of your drinks, but you can’t take it away after you add it!
♻️ substitutions & variations
♻️ substitutions
Missing an ingredient? No problem. Check out these tried-and-true substitutions, or comment below with your question. I’m here to help you troubleshoot!
- club soda – you can swap club soda for seltzer water or sparkling water with little to no effect on flavor. Club soda does have added minerals, which vary based on the brand available in grocery stores. If in doubt, check the nutrition facts label to see what added minerals are in your club soda!
- add cream or milk – Italian sodas are made using whole milk or heavy cream. While they didn’t really originate in Italy, they were first made by the Italian-American family who invented the Torani syrup company! Add a dollop of whipped cream for a blood orange cream soda!
- spike your sodas – add in an ounce of plain vodka, white rum, or blanco tequila for a grown-up soda. 😜
🧰 equipment needed & storage tips
🧰 tools needed
- beverage glass – you’ll need a glass that can hold 12 – 16 ounces for this soda.
- straw – sip this beverage through a straw for maximum nostalgia. If you want to amp up the fun, you can use a silly straw! I love using these silicone straws from GIR, because they are easy to clean in the dishwasher, and they don’t stain or retain odors.
- measuring beakers or jigger – I love using OXO nesting measuring beakers for drink making! You can also use a classic cocktail jigger.
🫙 storage tips
Because this soda is effervescent and contains optional milk or cream, it is best to enjoy it shortly after making it.
If you do want to prepare it in advance, combine the syrup and soda water then store it in an airtight storage bottle in the fridge, such as a glass bottle with a stopper on it.
💬 q+a
What is an Italian soda?
Italian soda is made from combining soda water, or seltzer water, with a flavored syrup, like simple syrup. Sometimes cream or milk is added to give it a luxurious, velvety flavor. You may see Italian sodas with cream be called a “cremosa.”
How is Italian soda different than dirty soda?
Dirty soda is made with cola or other soda pop that is already flavored, meaning it’s usually double-sweetened. Italian sodas are made with sparkling water, seltzer water, or club soda, which is unsweetened.
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Italian Blood Orange Soda (Aranciata Rossa)
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Equipment
- 1 drinking glass 12 – 16 ounce capacity
- 1 cocktail mixing spoon
- 1 measuring beaker or jigger
- 1 pairing knife
- 1 small cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 ounce blood orange simple syrup
- 10 ounces sparkling water
- ice
- blood orange slices for garnish, optional
- 2 ounces heavy cream or milk optional
- whipped cream optional
Instructions
- If garnishing with fresh blood oranges, wash and scrub the oranges to remove any wax, dirt, or debris. Slice thin rounds of the oranges, cutting in half if desired for wedges.
- Fill your preferred glass halfway with ice.
- Layer blood orange slices or wedges against the wall of the glass, as a garnish.
- Fill the remaining half of the glass with ice.
- Add 1 ounce of blood orange simple syrup to the glass.
- Fill the remainder of the glass with sparkling water.
- Garnish with a slice of blood orange or a dehydrated blood orange wheel.
- Serve immediately!
Notes
- not enough flavor – you can add up to another ounce of blood orange syrup to your soda, and you can also add in a few ounces of blood orange juice to really amp up the flavor.
- use the right sparkling water – make sure to use plain soda water, sparkling water, or seltzer water. You can also use club soda in a pinch, but it tends to have a bit of saltiness to it because of added minerals.
- club soda – you can swap club soda for seltzer water or sparkling water with little to no effect on flavor. Club soda does have added minerals, which vary based on the brand available in grocery stores. If in doubt, check the nutrition facts label to see what added minerals are in your club soda!
- add cream or milk – Italian sodas are made using whole milk or heavy cream. While they didn’t really originate in Italy, they were first made by the Italian-American family who invented the Torani syrup company! Add a dollop of whipped cream for a blood orange cream soda!
- spike your sodas – add in an ounce of vodka, rum, or tequila for a grown-up soda.
Nutrition Information
The information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition facts calculator and actual nutrition facts may vary.
🧯food safety & other information
Food safety is an important ingredient in any recipe for success! Here are some tips to keep you safe in the kitchen!
- Always use caution when slicing small fruits like blood oranges, which can be tricky to slice. Make sure you’re using a sharp knife, as more accidents happen with dull knives than properly sharpened ones.
- If you are spiking your soda, always adhere to alcohol consumption laws and never serve alcoholic beverages to anyone under legal drinking age.
