[dspillett]

> it seems like making soda at home is really catching on ... but the availability of syrups is presenting some serious supplier risk.

Wouldn't the answer there be to try making your own of those too? I'd bet good money that a "plain" syrup isn't difficult to make and that relevant flavouring agents are easy to come by.

[lgbr]

> Wouldn't the answer there be to try making your own of those too?

The difference with carbonation is that I can get CO2 and carbonation equipment really easily, and in different forms from different suppliers. I could even get some yeast from my local store and make it. Carbonating water takes less time and effort than making a cup of coffee.

The problem with syrups is that, as you can see from the recipe here on Open Cola, I would spend a lot of time and effort making it. The only syrup I know of that doesn't have this problem is root beer. Most grocery stores in the US seem to carry concentrate which need only be mixed with sweetener and carbonated water. Cola, lemon lime, orange, or other syrups don't have this kind of availability, apart from those from SodaStream.

[dragonwriter]

> Cola, lemon lime, orange, or other syrups don't have this kind of availability

Cola and lemon-lime as a mix, maybe; orange, as well as lemon and lime individually -- and also raspberry, vanilla, chocolate, hazelnut, and others -- are very commonly available flavoring syrups in most grocery stores I've seen.

[kbutler]

We have a little snow cone maker (ice shaver) that the kids love. We also do Italian sodas periodically.

We buy just-add-water punch mix by the gallon in various flavors at our local grocery store. Should work for home-mixed sodas.

The Torani flavors in the italian sodas are a good option, but probably expensive for mass soda production?

[petra]

>> Cola, lemon lime, orange, or other syrups don't have this kind of availability

Sure, they're not on every grocery store. But Amazon has them, and it's a great distribution channel for that.