How to pour it
an orange soda in
Take a tall highball glass and fill it completely with ice, or place a long ice stick in it that reaches from the bottom to the rim. A lot of ice melts more slowly than a few loose cubes, so your drink gets less diluted rather than more.
Slide the orange slice between the ice and the side of the glass, so it stays upright and remains visible. Add the lime slice if you want to make the whole thing a little sharper.
Pour in the orange soda slowly, with the glass tilted slightly and the bottle against the rim. This lets the soda run down along the ice, preventing it from foaming over and keeping the carbonation in the glass.
Set the glass upright when it is almost full and don’t stir; you don’t need to, because orange soda is already mixed, and stirring only costs you bubbles. Serve it immediately, while it is still fizzy.
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The story
Orange soda is as Dutch as it gets: the word is an abbreviation of the Dutch word for orange, and hardly anyone outside the Netherlands knows it. In other countries, the same orange soft drink appears on menus as orange soda. Confusion with orange juice is inevitable, but the two are worlds apart. Juice is pressed fruit, without carbonation and with the sugars that occur naturally in it. Orange soda is carbonated water with added sugar and orange flavor, and the amount of juice it contains varies by brand and is stated on the label. That makes orange soda a soft drink, not fruit, and it should taste that way too: sweet, refreshing, and fizzy.
The right glass
Orange soda belongs in a tall, straight glass, because you can stack a substantial column of ice in it, which is exactly what this soft drink needs. The taller the glass, the more ice it holds and the more slowly it melts, so the longer your drink stays cold and fizzy. A straight shape also shows the color from top to bottom. Lower, wider models can be found among the tumbler glasses.
Duralex Picardie Long Drink Glass 36 cl (6 pieces)
Arcoroc Islande Long Drink Glass 31 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 34,90.
The right tools
For orange soda, besides the glass you need a mold for long ice sticks that fills the entire height of the glass, plus a few glass straws that don't impart an aftertaste. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you'll find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glassware set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 51,85.
What classically goes into your orange soda?
Sinas itself is alcohol-free. The best-known combination in the Netherlands is vodka with sinas, and adding Passoã makes the whole drink much sweeter and fuller. On each drinks page, you can read the percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
An orange slice is standard, but adding half a lime slice makes the whole drink less sweet, and a few mint leaves among the ice give it a refreshing touch. Half sinas and half sparkling water is a classic way to drink it less sweet. If you want to lean more toward fresh fruit, pour a little freshly squeezed orange juice into the glass and top it up with sinas; you keep the fizz and add the flavor of the fruit. Want to read more? View all drinks and brands.
Serving tip
Put the bottles of sinas and a bowl of ice on the table instead of filling the glasses in advance, because sinas loses its fizz faster than you think. Cut the orange into thin slices and place them on a small plate alongside. A glass straw from the straws keeps the ice in place while you drink.
Good to know
What is the difference between sinas and orange juice?
Orange juice is pressed fruit: no carbonation and only the sugars that naturally occur in the orange. Sinas is a soft drink, meaning carbonated water with added sugar and orange flavoring. The amount of juice in sinas varies by brand and is stated on the label.
Why is it called sinas?
Sinas is a Dutch shortening of sinaasappel, meaning orange. Almost nobody outside the Netherlands knows the word; there, the same orange soft drink appears on menus as orange soda.
Why so much ice?
A glass filled completely with ice melts more slowly than a glass with three loose cubes, because a full column keeps itself cold and less surface area melts off each cube. This keeps your orange soda cold and fizzy instead of turning watery halfway through.
Which glass is the right one?
A tall, straight highball glass of about 30 cl or more. It holds a generous column of ice, and the straight sides show the orange color from top to bottom. Lower glasses work too, but they hold less ice and your drink will go flat faster.
How do you keep the fizz in?
Pour slowly, with the glass tilted and the bottle against the rim, and do not stir afterward. Sinas is already mixed, so stirring achieves nothing except loss of carbonation. Only open the bottle when you are ready to pour.
Which combinations are classics?
In the Netherlands, vodka with orange soda is the best-known combination. Passoã with orange soda and Peachtree with orange soda are the sweeter variations, while Malibu gives you a coconut-like version. A splash of rum works too, just as it does with cola.
Frequently asked questions
Is sinas the same as orange juice?
No. Orange juice is pressed fruit without carbonation, containing only the sugars from the orange. Sinas is a soft drink: carbonated water with added sugar and orange flavor.
What does the word sinas mean?
Sinas is a Dutch shortening of sinaasappel and is used for orange soda. In English, the same drink is called orange soda.
What drink do you mix with orange soda?
Vodka with orange soda is the best-known combination in the Netherlands. Passoã, Peachtree, and Malibu are also often served with orange soda, and a splash of rum works just like it does with cola.
Which glass do you serve orange soda in?
In a tall, straight highball glass of about 30 cl or more, completely filled with ice. This holds enough ice to keep the soft drink cold and fizzy, while the straight sides show off the color.
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