Nam Daeng Soda Recipe (Thai Red Syrup Drink)
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Fizzy, easy, and so refreshing, this easy nam daeng soda recipe is a fun summer drink that both adults and kids in Thailand love when they want to cool down. Made with only 3 ingredients and impossible to resist on a hot summer day!
🥤 What is nam daeng drink?
Nam daeng is a Thai drink made by mixing red syrup with ice and soda water. It tastes sweet, lightly floral, and fizzy. It’s made by pouring syrup over ice, topping it with soda water, and stirring until bright red and cool.
🌞 One of my favorite summer drinks
Whenever the weather gets unbearably hot, this is the first drink we make without even thinking. I’ve been drinking it for as long as I can remember, it’s basically Thai summer in a glass!
I don’t order it very often when I’m out because vendors here tend to add a lot of syrup, which makes it extremely sweet. At home, I can adjust the sweetness to taste, that’s why I always make it myself.
But if you have a sweet tooth (or the opposite), feel free to adjust the amount of syrup to make the drink more or less sweet.
There are also a few simple variations you can try:
🍋🟩 Lime: Add a splash of lime juice to turn it into daeng manao, a refreshing Thai lime soda.
🥛 Sweetened condensed milk: Drizzle a little on top for a creamy, dessert-style version (popular with kids).
🧂 Salted soda: Add a tiny pinch of salt to balance the sweetness and make it extra refreshing.
Praew ♡
Learn Thai cooking step by step
My cookbook is a combination of authentic Thai recipes and Western dishes cooked with Thai flavors and ingredients. It’s a great starting point if you’re new to Thai cooking or want to cook it more often.
🍚 Ingredient notes and substitutes
✱ Here you’ll find ingredient tips and possible substitutions. See the recipe card for the exact measurements
- Sala syrup – Sala syrup is a bright red, sweet syrup with a lightly floral aroma flavored with the salak fruit or artificial red-flavored syrup. You can easily find it at Asian grocery stores or order it on Amazon. You can use the same syrup to make nom yen.
- Ice-cold soda water – Use well-chilled soda water for the best fizz and a clean, refreshing taste. Flat soda water will make the drink taste dull.
- Ice – I personally prefer crushed ice because it chills the drink faster and makes it extra refreshing, but regular ice cubes work just fine.
👩🍳 Step-by-step instructions
- Fill the glass with ice. Add plenty of ice to a tall glass; crushed ice works best, but ice cubes are fine too.
- Add the sala syrup. Pour the syrup over the ice.
- Top with soda water. Slowly pour in ice-cold soda water until the glass is almost full.
- Stir gently. Give it a quick stir so the syrup mixes evenly and the drink turns a bright red color.
- Serve immediately. Garnish with a lime slice if you like and enjoy it cold while it’s extra refreshing!
😋 Quick tips for the best flavor!
❥ Add syrup first so it mixes evenly.
❥ Use very cold soda water.
❥ Start with less syrup and adjust.
Nam Daeng Soda Recipe (Thai Red Syrup Drink)
Equipment
- measuring spoon
- tall glass
- spoon or straw
Ingredients
- 1½ cup ice, as needed to fill the glass
- 1–2 tbsp sala syrup, adjust to taste
- 1 cup ice-cold soda water
Instructions
- Add ice to a glass. Fill a tall glass with crushed ice or ice cubes.
- Pour in the sala syrup. Add the syrup over the ice and adjust the amount to taste.
- Top with soda water. Pour in chilled soda water until the glass is nearly full.
- Stir and serve. Stir gently until evenly mixed, garnish with lime if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use the nutrition card in this recipe as a guideline.
