Book Review: True Brews by Emma Christensen

from Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House
Available from Amazon , (also on Kindle , Barnes and Noble, (also on Nook)

Another homemade soda book has recently hit the shelves.  True Brews from Emma Christensen, recipe editor at The Kitchn, focuses on teaching the basic how to for just about all things fermented.  Although only one of the eight chapters is about soda, it's a helpful starting place for anyone looking for fermented recipes.

True Brews ends up being a bit pricier than some of the other books I've reviewed, but it's solid hardcover book that will hold up as a reference for batch after batch.  One thing that sets True Brews apart from other homebrew books is that Christensen's goal is to make homebrew accessible to everyone, even those in small apartments.  As such, she outlines equipment that is required and what isn't.  Then she starts with a master recipe and the other recipes are detailed variations on the master.  Each chapter starts with a brief interview with an expert to give tips and inspiration to aspiring homebrewers.

With each chapter devoted to a different beverage, there's little space to devote to a lot of variation.  So on first glance it may seem like each page is nearly a copy and paste of the previous.  In total there are 8 different soda recipes, most of them fruit based, which makes it the most recipe-heavy chapter in the book even if it's not the largest by page count (soda recipes are very simple compared to the other beverages).  I had to remind myself that the recipes are meant as a template to get a beginner started, and not really for something fancy and advanced.

Though the recipes are simple, that by no means makes them any less tasty.  I only had the resources to try one so far, and since Christensen recommended the Watermelon Mint, that's where I started.  It ended up much better than one of my earlier blogged recipes, WatermeLemon.  Probably because it used more watermelon for a smaller recipe.  I had never thought of combining watermelon with mint, but they do complement each other quite well.  The recipe ferments quickly in warm weather.  Be careful not to ferment too far because with the sediment it gushes quite easily.

Overall, True Brews is a great introduction to homebrewing.  Other homebrew books are a bit more on the technical side, whereas it's obvious from the full color pictures in this book make it more artisan friendly.  So if a homebrew book has scared you off in the past, this may be your invitation back to the hobby.  With that in mind, however, the book is a little light on advanced troubleshooting tips, so prepare to go back for something more technical once you have a few batches under your belt.  It may not be a must have book for the homemade soda maker's library, but it's a welcome addition for anyone who wants to get well start in on fermenting recipes.

Andrew Schloss's Homemade Soda Book on Kindle only 2.99!

UPDATE: NOVEMBER 16, 2013 - The price has dropped back down again, but not quite as low.  The Kindle edition can now be had for 3.49.

UPDATE: OCTOBER 18, 2013 - The price on this has gone back to 9.99 as noticed by an anonymous commenter.  I hope you picked up your copy when it was available at the lower price.  It's still a great book, but for that price, I'd go for even a used hard copy rather than digital.  That's just personal preference, I suppose.

One of the best homemade soda books of all time is Andrew Schloss's Homemade Soda: 200 Recipes for Making & Using Fruit Sodas & Fizzy Juices, Sparkling Waters, Root Beers & Cola Brews, Herbal & Healing Waters, Sparkling ... & Floats, & Other Carbonated Concoctions.  Wow, I never really realized how long that subtitle is.

Anyway, I was browsing some other things on Amazon and came across the Kindle Edition of this for the super low price of $2.99, so I thought I'd share that with you here.


I don't own a Kindle, so I'm not sure how this looks on it, but you can't beat that price for the tasty recipes in this book.  A lot of them are for soda by the glass, but there are some good ones that are designed for soda siphons or fermented batches.  My personal favorite is the Honey Lemonade Soda, which I've mentioned before on the blog, but it's a really good substitute for a San Pellegrino Limonata.

Recipe 27 - Jones Soda Crushed Melon Clone

Back in the day, before Jones Soda was available at major retailers and their really fun and innovative flavors weren't reserved for short run limited editions, Jones had a number of flavors that were legendary. If not for their flavor, their rarity.  My two favorites were Pink and Crushed Melon.  Pink was later "renamed" Strawberry & Cream, but it never tasted the same after that and shortly thereafter it was retired.  Along with some other black sheep flavors such as BugJuice.com, Pink in it's original form has been officially forgotten by Jones Soda.

Crushed Melon, however, has not suffered such an ill fate.  It is at least still listed on their Retired Products page.  That tells me it was likely more popular and more profitable.  Though the real reason I made a clone recipe is to get me a little closer to Pink as they had a similar aftertaste.  (And it was easier to nail down the flavor.)  So without further ado, here's my version of Jones Soda's Crushed Melon

1 lb diced canteloupe (1/4 average sized melon)
1 lb diced honeydew (1/4 average sized melon)
1 lb diced watermelon (1/8 average sized melon)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 lb sugar (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup water

Combine the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil, let it simmer on medium to medium high heat for 15 minutes.  If the color starts to dark, remove from heat immediately and add in a bit of cold water.
Pour the syrup over the diced melon and use a potato masher to crush it up with the syrup.
Once the melon is crushed up and the syrup is pulpy, run it through a fine-mesh strainer and add the vanilla.
Top the resulting syrup up to 1 gallon with carbonated water.

This syrup turns out a little on the thin side and it does contain a fair amount of pulp.  Mine yielded about 4 cups of syrup which makes the mix ratio about 3:1 carbonated water to syrup.  The pulp makes it fizz up rather easily when you mix it, so keep that in mind when you add this into your Sodastream.

Book Review - Make Your Own Soda: Syrups Recipes by Anton Nocito and Lynn Marie Hulsman

from Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House
Available from Amazon, (also on Kindle), Barnes and Noble, (also on Nook)

From Clarkson Potter Publishers comes yet another do-it-yourself soda syrup book that is geared toward those using the Sodastream or similar techniques.  It contains upwards of 40 recipes for homemade soda syrups using natural ingredients and how to use the syrups for soda plus another 30 or so recipes for other beverages such as cocktails, mocktails, shakes, egg creams, and hot drinks using the syrups.  Author Anton Nocito is the founder of P&H Soda Co. which sells some of the very syrups for which recipes are contained in this book.

Overall, the recipes are simple and easy to follow.  None of them have more than a handful of ingredients.  The instructions are clear and concise and it has some helpful hints for the best carbonation and getting the best out of your ingredients.  This is the book that Andrea Lynn's Artisan Soda Workshop could have been.  If you were disappointed by Lynn's book or felt like it was just too small, check this one out and see if it's more your style in content and quantity.  It's bigger and has more recipes, yet it has the same simple and easy technique that Lynn uses in a clean presentation.

Somehow, the quality of the book is not hindered by it's down sides, though it does have a few.  Absent is any mention of the possibility of fermenting these recipes or using them for a straight carbonation technique.  It never purports to be anything more than a recipe book for soda syrups, so it is not trying to be anything more than it is.  However, the beginning sodamaker may find some challenges in adapting sodas for different techniques.  Another downside is the same beef I had with Lynn's book, the availability of ingredients.  I have to remind myself that the "artisan" moniker usually means more expensive.  Maybe my complaint is that I just simply don't have access to some of the fresh ingredients Nocito uses.  I don't know where to find lemon verbena,  anise hyssop, or quince.  Maybe I'm not looking in the right places.  The syrup recipes are divided into two sections: Syrups From the Farm, and Syrups From the Pantry.  I don't see a definite distinction between the two sections.  I don't know anyone off the top of my head who has fresh lemongrass, guava, or huckleberry on their farm, (attempts to domesticate the huckleberry have turned out to be blueberries) and I don't know anyone who has lovage in their pantry.  I would guess that from the farm means you can grow your own ingredients with ease and from the pantry means you're better off purchasing them?  To me this would make more economical sense, and economics is partially what led me to sodamaking, but then there's that economics and availability thing again.  Nocito is kind enough to list some of his source for ingredients in an appendix, though.  Since all are web pages, they are virtually accessible by all which makes availability a moot point.

The recipes are simple and have good flavor, given you use good ingredients.  I used cheap dried cherries for the dried cherry syrup, and the resulting soda tasted like cheap dried cherries.  It could definitely use some citric acid.  The variety is nice, even with simple recipes.  The Golden Raisin Shrub makes for a tasty beverage, though according to my 8-year-old daughter, it made the kitchen smell like moldy ketchup.  Granted she's not used to smelling apple cider vinegar in a syrup, but I don't think she really knows what moldy ketchup smells like.

Some of the things that I really like about this book are the various beverages that use the syrups.  The thing that sticks out the most are the mocktail recipes scattered throughout the book.  To quote Nocito, "sometimes a cocktail is called for, and sometimes so is a clear head..."  Being one that doesn't drink, I find his recipes for Lime Rickey, Rockaway Beach Club, and Lucy and Ricky Rickey among others a welcome inclusion in a mixed beverage world where all the really tasty looking stuff has some form of alcohol in it.  Not to worry though, there are a number of cocktail recipes as well for those obliged to imbibe.

Nocito's nostalgic flair shines through from the "Fountain Facts" found frequently in the sidebars to the entire section on egg creams and floats reminiscent of the glory days of drug store fountains and soda jerks. Included in this section are also a handful of recipes for ice creams for your floats for a complete DIY experience.  From the ordinary vanilla ice cream to lemon verbena ice cream, there's something for everybody.

Though most of the syrup flavors are basic single flavor syrups with simple and easy to follow instructions, I find Nocito's book a good read and a handy reference for flavor base inspiration.  Not too big, and not too small, this is a definite must have addition to any sodamaker's library with recipes for the novice as well as for the experienced.

Blog Under Construction

So, I've decided to make some changes and keep things a little less cluttered.  I hope everyone likes the new arrangement.

I wanted a vintage soda look.  I'm still not sure if I nailed it or not.

Feel free to comment on the new look.

In case you missed it, this is what it used to look like:

So I'm open to criticism.  If the colors are vomit inducing, please let me know.  If the new look rocks, make a comment!

Recipe 26 - Cherry Limeade Soda

Near the beginning of last month, (or for those living in Minnesota at this very moment) I thought that winter would never end.  As luck would have it, I think it actually did.  So now that allergy season is here, I would like to just forego spring and slip right into summer.  Since I can't really do that, I'll pretend it's summer and make some summer recipes instead.

I’ll admit that Cherry Limeade isn’t the first thing that I think of when I think of summer, but it definitely has a summer vibe to it.  You can get through a cherry limeade without summer, but can you get through summer without a cherry limeade?  It’s a question of the ages.  I’ve always enjoyed the Minute Maid cherry limeade, so when I made this, that was the flavor I was going for.  I’m confident it won’t disappoint.

You can also added some extra citric acid or increase the lemon juice to lime juice ratio if you want something that leans a little more toward a Cherry 7up clone. 

This is a syrup + seltzer recipe, but there are no changes if you want to carbonate it straight.  It scales up to five gallons rather easily if you want to keg it.  

2 1/4 cups sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp pure almond or cherry extract
1 maraschino cherry
4 drops red food coloring (if desired)
1 gallon carbonated water.

To make the syrup, boil the sugar, water, and cream of tartar for about 20 minutes, or until it reaches 240°F.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Add the lemon juice, lime juice, and cherry.  Add the flavor extract last.  I added some red food coloring to mine so it looks more like cherry.  Otherwise I can't tell it apart from my Lime in d' Coconut recipe by sight.  You can choose to mash up the maraschino cherry to get all the juice out of it and remove it, or leave it alone and leave it in as almost a garnish.  I find that adding the cherry gives the flavor a bit more depth than just the extract.  You may wish to substitute sweet cherry juice if you have any on hand, but in my experience it's rather pricey.

Top up with a gallon of carbonated water and you have a refreshing summer beverage!

Book Review: The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz

from Chelsea Green Publishing
Available from:  Amazon , (also on Kindle ), Barnes and Noble (also on Nook)
I tend to avoid old fashioned fermented recipes for a number of reasons; they require specific time requirements, you run the risk of gushing or exploding bottles, they typically have sediment that most people don't like, they can have a yeasty flavor, the fermentation can run away and get too alcoholic, and so on.

For some people, old school is the way to go, so if you've come to this blog in search of fermentable recipes, I apologize for disappointing.  But there are plenty of resources available.  Katz's The Art of Fermentation was published last year as a wonderful reference for all things fermentable.  From beer and wine to pickles and vegetables to yogurt and dairy, if it's fermentable, you'll find it here, or at least something very similar.  There are even non-food applications such as latex paint alternatives and soil remediation.  It's definitely an interesting read.

The section that I had interest in was Chapter 6: Fermenting Sour Tonic Beverages.  Basic fermentation principles are explained along with some cursory discussion of carbonation plus a number of recipes and some troubleshooting tips.  If you're interested in fermenting soda but don't know where to start, this book is for you.  Even if you don't plan to ferment anything there are some interesting recipes that could easily be adapted to force carbonation with a little experimentation.  Some of the recipes such as Kvass and Ginger Beer I've seen before.  I thought the discussion on the Jamaican roots beer (yes, apparently it's plural in Jamaica) was of particular interest.  First, because I've never seen that particular history before or the plural, and second, to see the variation of roots that go into it.  The list included "sarsaprilla root, strongback root, shuteye marker plant, dandelion plant, coconut root, guava root, vervain plant, chainy root, bloodwrist plan, bug-me-close root, tan pan root, jack saga root, long liver, cold tongue, dark tongue, dog's tongue, search-me-heart, soon-on-earth, God's bush, devil has whip, water grass, and raw moon."  And I thought five roots was exotic.  I'm guessing most of these are native to Jamaica.  Another thing that I haven't seen before is a discussion on how to start your own Ginger Beer Plant or Ginger Bug.  The small amount of information I had read on this subject suggested one would have to get a starter culture from someone else first.  Some of the recipes are from around the world, such as Pru -  a botanical/herbal beverage from Cuba, Sweet Potato Fly from Guyana (this one is on my list to try), Smreka - a juniper berry soft drink from Bosnia, along with some discussion on Kombucha, Kefir, and other drinks.

When I say the book contains recipes, it doesn't necessarily give you ingredient amounts as many are accustomed to seeing.  The book is more a guide on how to make fermentables, rather than what fermentables to make.  So a "recipe" might seem more like a discussion on what one would commonly do to make a particular thing, indicating that it's up to the reader to concoct their own recipe according to their individual tastes.  If you're a huge do-it-yourselfer looking to start your own cultures and fermented foods, this book would be an excellent buy to have on hand for a reference.  If you're mildly curious about fermentation, it may be information overload and be something that would be better borrowed from the library on the occasions you might want to whip something up.