HOMEMADE SODA Get fizzy with it
Before the modern soda craze, which has caused all manner of health problems and sugar addictions, people made their own refreshing, fermented drinks at home. Most early recipes refer to these drinks as “beer” or “ale,” and the entire family drank them, including young children. These weren’t high-alcohol beverages, though — most only fermented 1 to 3 percent alcohol, if that. Instead, these drinks were a way to pass along the nutrition, flavor, and medicinal effects of various plants. They were often much safer than the water available in settled areas.
Some drinks weren’t even carbonated, but rather simple mixes of various liquids — water, vinegar, maple syrup, molasses, and so on — and flavoring ingredients. Up until the early 19th century, pharmacists recommended sodas containing certain plant materials to help with ailments. Over time, synthetic ingredients replaced the natural ones, until sodas became the sugar-packed drinks we’re accustomed to today.
Luckily, you can easily recreate the old-time versions of these beverages at home with equipment and
