Berry Italian Soda

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 cups berries of your choice (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry)

• Cream

• Club soda

• Ice

Directions:

1. Wash, de-stem, and slice your berries if needed. Make sure it is clean and somewhat dry.

2. In a saucepan over medium heat add the water and sugar. Make sure the sugar completely dissolves.

3. Add your choice of berries into the saucepan and continue to cook for around 15 minutes. Stir often and keep your eye on it to make sure the sugar mixture does not bubble or burn.

4. Once the berries have cooked down, take the saucepan off the heat and strain the liquid through a sieve. Use the back of a wooden spoon or a spatula to really push the mixture through the sieve in order to get a smooth syrup.

5. Let the syrup cool completely before you assemble the drink.

6. Fill a glass with ice and then add the berry syrup over it.

7. Add club soda to the top and finish off with a cream. 

8. You may add mint leaves or some sliced fresh berries on top for garnish.

Notes: 

• You may use any club soda you want, or you may even use flavored sparkling water. You may experiment with different flavors and pairings to create a more unique drink. For example, a strawberry syrup but with a blackberry soda or flavored water. 

• The cream can also be opted for any other kind of creamer that you prefer. Whether it’s heavy cream, half and half, coconut cream, or even a scoop of Vanilla ice cream to make it a little more festive or special. 

• If berries are not available to you, you may use any fruit of your choice such as mangoes, peaches, pears, passionfruit, and more. The cooking time may vary when creating the syrup, but as long as you watch it closely and stir often the outcome should be just the same. Make sure to clean your fruit well especially if you decide to add the rind or skin when cooking.