Chilled Sour Cherry, Roasted Lemon, and Green Tea Thyme Soda
An original, refreshing drink with a bright tart, herbal, and lightly roasted profile. It combines a quick sour cherry concentrate with roasted lemon, delicate green tea, fresh thyme, and sparkling water for an elegant, aromatic soda.
Ingredients
- 300 g pitted sour cherries, fresh or frozen (si usas congeladas, descongelar lightly)
- 1 grande 120 g yellow lemon (cut a the mitad)
- 50 g sugar (ajustar to taste)
- 250 ml water (for the concentrado)
- 4 g green tea (a granel or 2 bolsitas)
- 180 ml hot water (for infusionar the té)
- 6 g fresh thyme (solo the hojitas and sprigs tiernas, more extra for decorar)
- 1 g fine salt (realza the sabor)
- 600 ml chilled sparkling water (for terminar the bebida)
- 400 g ice (for servir)
Nutrition facts
per serving
Approximate nutritional information. Estimated from the recipe’s ingredients and amounts, using standard reference nutrition values. It may vary with brands, sizes and cooking method. For guidance only; not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.
Allergens
No declared allergens
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 220 °C / 425 °F. Place the lemon halves cut side up on a small tray and roast for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly caramelized. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- 2
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine the sour cherries, sugar, 250 ml water, and salt. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fruit softens and the liquid turns deeply colored.
- 3
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add half of the fresh thyme to the hot cherry mixture and let it steep for 5 minutes to infuse.
- 4
In a separate container, steep the green tea in the 180 ml hot water at 80 °C / 175 °F for 2 minutes. Strain or remove the tea bags to prevent bitterness and let it cool slightly.
- 5
Squeeze the cooled roasted lemon into the cherry concentrate, removing any seeds. Blend until smooth, then strain through a fine sieve for a silky base.
- 6
Combine the cherry-lemon base with the green tea once it is warm or cool. Stir in the remaining fresh thyme and let it rest for 2 more minutes.
- 7
Fill 4 glasses with ice. Divide the base evenly among them and top each glass with chilled sparkling water. Stir gently so the drink keeps its bubbles.
- 8
Garnish with a small sprig of fresh thyme and serve immediately, very cold.
Chef tips
If you prefer a more rustic texture, do not fully strain the concentrate. For a less sweet version, reduce the sugar to 35 g / 3 tbsp.
Substitutions
You can replace sour cherries with sweet cherries and add an extra 10 ml / 2 tsp lemon juice. Thyme can be swapped for fresh marjoram, and green tea for a mild white tea.
What I used to make it
Generic kitchen tools that work for this recipe. You don’t need to buy anything to make it.
Illustrative imageNinja Professional BL610 Blender
Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Easy-to-wash jar
- Check the power and jar size
Illustrative imageCosori Pro LE 5 Qt Air Fryer
Browning and baking with little oil
- Browns food with very little oil
- Handy for vegetables, chicken and reheating
- Check the basket capacity
Illustrative imageVictorinox Fibrox Pro 8" Chef’s Knife
Chopping, slicing and cutting strips
- The knife I use most when cooking
- Chops, slices and cuts into strips
- Keep it sharp and hand-dry it
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