Kana’s Rooftop Melancholy Soda
Inspired by the bittersweet rooftop moments of Kana and her friends, this vibrant soda captures the effervescence of youth with layers of bright citrus, deep blue butterfly pea, and a creamy vanilla float, culminating in a burst of cherry. It's a refreshing, contemplative sip that balances playful sweetness with a hint of poignant depth, like summer ending too soon.
Directions
- 1
Combine the granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat; stir constantly until the sugar completely dissolves, about 3 minutes, then remove from heat.
- 2
Add the lemon juice, lime juice, and dried butterfly pea flowers to the warm sugar syrup, stirring gently, and let steep for 15 minutes to infuse color and flavor.
- 3
Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean jar, discarding the butterfly pea flowers, and stir in the vanilla extract and kosher salt; refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
- 4
To assemble each soda, pour 1/4 cup of the chilled butterfly pea syrup into a tall glass.
- 5
Slowly add 6 ounces of chilled seltzer water to each glass, observing the mesmerizing color change from deep blue to a purple-pink hue as the acid reacts.
- 6
Gently float two scoops of vanilla bean ice cream on top of the sparkling soda.
- 7
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of heavy cream over the ice cream, allowing it to slowly cascade into the beverage.
- 8
Garnish each soda with a few maraschino cherries and serve immediately with a long spoon and straw, encouraging a dreamy, layered experience.