Socată is a traditional Romanian soft drink made from elderflowers (Sambucus nigra), water, sugar and lemon, left to ferment naturally. Fermentation gives it fine bubbles and a slightly tangy taste, while the elderflowers give it a fresh, floral aroma. It is one of the oldest summer drinks in Romanian households, usually made in late spring when the elder is in bloom. Soculent is slow-fermented, alcohol-free socată, available in cans all year round.

How is socată traditionally made?

Elderflowers are picked at the end of May or the beginning of June, on a sunny day, when they are fully open. They are not washed, only gently shaken, because their pollen contains the natural yeasts that start fermentation. The flowers are placed in a large glass or ceramic jar with water, sugar and lemon slices. The jar is covered with cheesecloth and left for a few days in the sun or in a warm place, stirred daily. When bubbles appear and the taste turns slightly sour, the socată is strained, bottled and kept cold. Some recipes add synthetic citric acid (sometimes wrongly called “lemon salt”) or synthetic ascorbic acid for acidity and preservation. Home-made socată keeps fermenting in the bottle, which is why it is drunk quickly.

Soculent is a slow-fermented, alcohol-free socată (elderflower soft drink), made in Romania by Fermentit SRL from natural ingredients, with elderflowers from Transylvania. It is sold in 330 ml aluminium cans.

How is Soculent different from home-made socată?

We start from the traditional recipe, but we take care of every step: slow fermentation of about two weeks at a controlled temperature, not a few days in the sun, so the taste develops fully and stays consistent from one batch to the next; elderflowers from Transylvania; 100% natural ingredients – for acidity we use only lemon juice, with no synthetic citric acid (sometimes wrongly labelled “lemon salt”) and no synthetic ascorbic acid; it is alcohol-free and available all year round, in 330 ml aluminium cans.

Does Soculent contain alcohol?

No. Soculent is alcohol-free. It can, however, be used as a mixer in cocktails, for example with gin, vodka or prosecco.

How is Soculent made?

The elderflowers are infused, the infusion is left to ferment, and the result is then filtered. The process takes about two weeks, which is where the name comes from: SOCU-LENT (“lent” means slow in Romanian).

Where can I buy Soculent?

Online in Romania from Real Foods, Farmacia Tei, Ototo, Sezamo, Bolt Food and Wolt, and in the EU and UK via De Mână and Romanian Drinks. In stores you'll find it at Carrefour and Carrefour Market, La Doi Pași Extra, Real Foods and August, as well as in Starbucks and TED'S Coffee cafés. Soculent is also available at more than 480 partner restaurants, cafés, bars and shops in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Constanța, Brașov, Iași, Sibiu and other cities. See our Where to buy page. The recommended shelf price is between 11 and 20 RON per can, depending on the type of venue (retail or HoReCa).

How can I list Soculent at my venue or shop?

Write to us at contact@fermentit.ro or call +40 732 010 010. We deliver directly or through our partner distributors in each region.

The authentic taste of traditionally fermented SOCATĂ, available all year round.

Soculent cans – slow-fermented, alcohol-free elderflower soda: Original, Original Light, Watermelon and Ginger

Slow-fermented elderflower soda, locally produced using only natural ingredients, with elderflowers from Transylvania.

No compromises.

100% natural ingredients

Fermentation icon – slow-fermented socată

Slowly fermented

Made in Romania

Elderflowers from Transylvania

Available all year round

Alcohol-free

ORIGINAL

the classic recipe – a perfect blend of elderflower and lemon

Ingredients: water, sugar, fermented compound (water, sugar, lemon juice concentrate and elderflowers), lemon juice from concentrate (3%), freshly squeezed lemon juice (2%), carbon dioxide, natural flavouring.
Dried elderflowers equivalent to 3.6 g of fresh elderflowers were used to make one litre of soft drink.

ORIGINAL LIGHT

the classic recipe, with 40% less sugar

Ingredients: water, sugar, fermented compound (water, sugar, lemon juice concentrate and elderflowers), lemon juice from concentrate (3%), freshly squeezed lemon juice (1%), carbon dioxide, natural flavouring.
Dried elderflowers equivalent to 3.6 g of fresh elderflowers were used to make one litre of soft drink.

WATERMELON

a mix of two of the most beloved and refreshing flavours

Ingredients: water, sugar, fermented compound (water, sugar, lemon juice concentrate and elderflowers), lemon juice from concentrate (2.3%), freshly squeezed lemon juice (2%), carbon dioxide, watermelon juice from concentrate (1%), black carrot concentrate for colour, natural flavouring.
Dried elderflowers equivalent to 2.7 g of fresh elderflowers were used to make one litre of soft drink.

GINGER

where the classic taste embraces modern trends

Ingredients: water, sugar, fermented compound (water, sugar, lemon juice concentrate and elderflowers), lemon juice from concentrate (2.3%), freshly squeezed lemon juice (1.5%), carbon dioxide, ginger extract (0.1%), natural flavouring.
Dried elderflowers equivalent to 2.7 g of fresh elderflowers were used to make one litre of soft drink.

SOCULENT is alcohol-free, but for a little guilty pleasure it can be mixed with gin, vodka or prosecco. It is the perfect ingredient for a variety of cocktails.

Festina lente. Our production process is slooow.

So slow that it takes about two weeks. That is how the name was born: SOCU-LENT (from “soc”, elderflower, and “lent”, slow). There are no shortcuts. We let the elderflowers from Transylvania follow their own pace, naturally and patiently.

The elderflowers are infused

The infusion is left to ferment

The result is filtered

Why did we choose aluminium cans?

They keep out air and light, so our drink stays tasty and fresh
They can be recycled indefinitely
Recycling a can uses 90% less energy than recycling a bottle
Lightweight cans help reduce fuel consumption during transport

Stylised yellow flower, decorative element

Hand crushing an aluminium can for recycling

Recyclable aluminium cans seen from above

Fermens sana in corpore sano

Fermented foods are associated with numerous health benefits.

Elderflowers have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, help reduce stress, may fight flu and colds, support the immune system and have natural antiseptic qualities.

Although the recipe for fermented socată is very old and the drink has a strong home-made character, it aligns perfectly with today’s global focus on naturalness, health and authenticity.

Frequently asked questions about Soculent

Socată is a traditional Romanian soft drink made from elderflowers (Sambucus nigra), water, sugar and lemon, left to ferment naturally. Fermentation gives it fine bubbles and a slightly tangy taste, while the elderflowers give it a fresh, floral aroma. It is one of the oldest summer drinks in Romanian households, usually made in late spring when the elder is in bloom. Soculent is slow-fermented, alcohol-free socată, available in cans all year round.
Elderflowers are picked at the end of May or the beginning of June, on a sunny day, when they are fully open. They are not washed, only gently shaken, because their pollen contains the natural yeasts that start fermentation. The flowers are placed in a large glass or ceramic jar with water, sugar and lemon slices. The jar is covered with cheesecloth and left for a few days in the sun or in a warm place, stirred daily. When bubbles appear and the taste turns slightly sour, the socată is strained, bottled and kept cold. Some recipes add synthetic citric acid (sometimes wrongly called “lemon salt”) or synthetic ascorbic acid for acidity and preservation. Home-made socată keeps fermenting in the bottle, which is why it is drunk quickly.
Soculent is a slow-fermented, alcohol-free socată (elderflower soft drink), made in Romania by Fermentit SRL from natural ingredients, with elderflowers from Transylvania. It is sold in 330 ml aluminium cans.
We start from the traditional recipe, but we take care of every step:
– Slow fermentation of about two weeks at a controlled temperature, not a few days in the sun. The taste develops fully and stays consistent from one batch to the next.
– Elderflowers from Transylvania.
– 100% natural ingredients: for acidity we use only lemon juice, with no synthetic citric acid (sometimes wrongly labelled “lemon salt”) and no synthetic ascorbic acid.
– It is alcohol-free and available all year round, in 330 ml aluminium cans.
No. Soculent is alcohol-free. It can, however, be used as a mixer in cocktails, for example with gin, vodka or prosecco.
The elderflowers are infused, the infusion is left to ferment, and the result is then filtered. The process takes about two weeks, which is where the name comes from: SOCU-LENT (“lent” means slow in Romanian).
There are four: Original (elderflower and lemon), Original Light (the classic recipe with 40% less sugar), Watermelon (with watermelon juice) and Ginger (with ginger extract).
Online in Romania from Real Foods, Farmacia Tei, Ototo, Sezamo, Bolt Food and Wolt, and in the EU and UK via De Mână and Romanian Drinks. In stores you’ll find it at Carrefour and Carrefour Market, La Doi Pași Extra, Real Foods and August, as well as in Starbucks and TED’S Coffee cafés. Soculent is also available at more than 480 partner restaurants, cafés, bars and shops in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Constanța, Brașov, Iași, Sibiu and other cities. See our Where to buy page. The recommended shelf price is between 11 and 20 RON per can, depending on the type of venue (retail or HoReCa).
Write to us at contact@fermentit.ro or call +40 732 010 010. We deliver directly or through our partner distributors in each region.