Make Pine Needle Soda: A Natural “Sprite”

Let’s make a natural Sprite using pine needles. This fizzy soda not only tastes so much better—citrusy with undertones of mint—but also provides a free blast of Vitamin C. Plus, you only need three ingredients. Learn more.

White Pine was an important staple for humans here for centuries. The needles are especially rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, and numerous other plant compounds and may have saved the lives of early European explorers. This cup of Pine Needle Soda has much more Vitamin C than a cup of orange juice!

Yes, White Pine Needles are Edible

Most pine needles are edible; we use White Pine needles because this tree is common across North American neighborhoods and parks; plus, white pine needles make the best-tasting drink in our books. The White Pine is easy to identify because it’s the only one with five needles per bunch. See how to identify white pine trees. (Don’t mistake pine for a yew or cypress or “fake” pine like the Norfolk Pine, as these needles are toxic.)

A few notes on the recipe below …

1. Use a glass jar with a tight lid or glass container with flip-top to make this drink. Plastic can leach chemicals in sunlight. 
2. Do not eliminate or decrease the small amount of sugar. You need the sugar to feed the wild yeasts living on the needles (which they feed on to create the carbon dioxide bubbles).
3. We’ve been asked about washing the pine needles. We just take them straight from the tree. You may immerse them in a large bowl of cool water if you’re concerned about dust, but be very gentle and do not overwash them, or you’ll kill the wild yeasts that you need to create the fizzy soda. Avoid hot water, which also kills wild yeasts.

Also: See our Pine Needle Tea recipe and more White Pine remedies!