The 90’s are making a comeback, and I’m not loving it. I graduated from high school in ’97, so all these chokers and bodysuits and tiny flower prints are giving me a bit of PTSD. Do we have to bring back all the emotional trauma along with the chunky shoes? Please make it stop.
To make the 90’s even more horrible, I grew up in a small town in the middle of nowhere. The nicest restaurant was Red Robin. We thought we were so fancy when we went out of town for dance trips and got to have dinner at The Olive Garden. I couldn’t wait to order an Italian Soda. I thought I was so classy.
Italian Cream Sodas are super easy to make at home. All you need is some fruit-flavored syrup, some soda water, and a bit of half and half or cream. You can leave the cream out if you want. It might sound scary to put dairy in your soda, but I challenge you to give it a try. I promise, it’s awesome.
You can look for fruit syrups in the coffee aisle, but if you can’t find your favorite flavor, it’s pretty easy to make your own. Just combine a half cup of sugar and a half cup of water in a sauce pan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Dump in some of your favorite fruit (I used frozen raspberries), turn the heat off, and leave the fruit to steep for a few hours. Strain it into a jar, and store it in the fridge for all your Italian Soda needs.
Maybe not everything in the 90’s was horrible. I’m bringing back Italian Cream Sodas and loving it.
- 2 to 4 tablespoons fruit-flavored coffee syrup
- 4 to 6 ounces soda water or club soda
- 1 tablespoon half and half or single cream
- Ice
- Whipped cream, optional
- There's no need to be too prescriptive about your measurements here. Just eyeball it.
- Add a bunch ice to a tall glass, like a Collins glass. Pour in about an of inch of your favorite fruit-flavored syrup. How much syrup you use depends on how sweet you want your soda to be.
- Fill up your glass most of the way with soda water, then pour over a splash of cream.
- Top it with some whipped cream if you like.
- Make sure to serve it with a straw, because you don't want to stir it until you get ready to drink. The layers are what make this drink 90's magical.
