Fresh lime soda – the most refreshing summer drink ever?

We’re having a massive heatwave here in London. It’s probably been the hottest summer since I moved here some 20 years ago. And when it gets this hot, I can’t stop drinking deliciously sweet and salty fresh lime soda. This is an Indian drink that I grew up drinking and nothing else even comes close to the refreshing taste of this drink on a very hot summer’s day.

The secret to this drink is the balance of sweet and salty which is what makes it super delicious and so refreshing. The best part is that this drink is healthy too – the lime juice has so many benefits and the salt is great for replenishing all that sodium you loose when you sweat in very hot climates. In fact fresh lime soda is commonly drunk after workouts/sports in India – it’s all natural and better than any bottled sports drink. And it’s adaptable too – you can skip the sugar and just go for a salty version, you can replace the soda water with still or sparkling water and you can adjust sugar and salt quantities to your taste.

I can’t even begin to tell you how refreshing this drink is. But don’t take my word for it. Try it and you’ll be addicted.

Fresh Lime Soda Recipe

Ingredients:
juice of 1 lime
soda water
sugar syrup (to taste)
salt (to taste)

Start by making your sugar syrup. I use one part water to one part granulated sugar. So If I use 200ml water then I’ll add 200 grams of sugar. I like to make up a batch of this and keep in in the fridge as it lasts for a good two weeks.

To make the syrup, put the sugar and water in to small saucepan. Heat gently and stir ocassionaly until all the sugar is dissolved and the liquid has thickened a bit. Let it cool and then put it in a bottle and keep in the fridge.

To make the fresh lime soda, squeeze the juice of one lime in to a glass – you need one lime per 250ml glass. Add ¼ – ⅓ teaspoon of salt and 1½ tablespoon of sugar syrup (add more or less according to taste). Add ice and top with soda water. Give everything a good stir and enjoy.