Looking for a healthy, zesty non-alcoholic drink? Healthy Balsamic Vinegar Coke may be what you are looking for!
I am way behind the curve on this one… apparently it was a TikTok sensation last summer. I stumbled on it when I was looking for some interesting dry January refreshers.
If you are a die hard Coke fan – this likely won’t do it for you. But, if you enjoy a refreshing fizzy drink that is not too sweet and a bit tangy then read on!
There are all kinds of variations on this but the basic is soda water, balsamic vinegar and a touch of sweetener.
I tried several variation and you can experiment to suit your taste.
Why bother experimenting? Plain soda is obviously zero sugar and it can be wonderfully thirst quenching but this has a bit of tang, is totally natural and only has 8.7 grams of sugar per 12 oz compared to 40 grams for a regular Coke. An 8 oz glass weighs in at 23 calories and 5 grams of sugar.
Pour it over a glass of ice and you have a nice non-cloying, refreshing beverage!
I wrote the ‘recipe’ below with the combination I liked best but I will list out some commonly recommended variations.
Variations
- Seltzer – most people recommended using a lightly flavoured soda water. Some swear by lime flavour. I liked Buble grapefruit. I tried Perrier’s Peach flavour and for those that like a very fruity drink that might be their preferred. I found the peach flavour was quite distinct and felt ‘sweeter’ which was not what I was going for. Maybe in hot weather I’ll pull out the peach again and I will definitely be trying lime flavour!
- Vinegar- Balsamic is the base vinegar. It has a bit of sweetness to it (.8 grams/tsp) and lots of flavour. I used regular Balsamic (Kirkland brand from Costco) because that is what I had on hand. Again – some people strongly recommend a flavoured balsamic such as fig or raspberry. I tried a tsp of Sherry vinegar thinking it might be distinctive. It was noticeably thinner than the balsamic flavour and I ended up adding a hint of balsamic anyway. Since Sherry vinegar is rather expensive it probably isn’t worth using it in your drink.
- Sweetener- pure maple syrup is highly recommended. Some use Monkfruit syrup but I sure don’t have that on hand regularly – so maple syrup it will be for me!
It goes without saying that the better quality and more interesting each component is the better your finished drink will turn out. But – having said that you don’t want to use an expensive aged Balsamic because it will get washed out and mingled with all the other flavours.
So – if you decide to give it a try for Dry January or Dry February (fundraiser for Canadian Cancer Society) or just want a refreshing drink check it out!
One note of caution- don’t mix up more than you intend to drink right away. Once the fizz of the seltzer subsides it is less appetizing. So- don’t make up a pitcher of them all at once!
Looking for other healthy drink ideas?
Healthy Balsamic Vinegar Coke
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup soda water lightly flavoured lime or grapefruit recommended
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar plain, fig or raspberry flavour recommended
- 1 tsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Stir all ingredients together and pour over lots of ice.
- Serve immediately. Don't make this up in advance. It needs to be fizzy and cold to taste best.
Nutrition
