BHA & BHT Free Chilled Raspberry Lemon Sparkling Cooler
Bright, fizzy, and bursting with real fruit flavor, this chilled sparkling cooler is the kind of drink that makes any afternoon feel like a special occasion. BHA and BHT are synthetic preservatives found in a surprising number of bottled beverages, flavored syrups, and packaged drink mixes — so making your own from scratch is the cleanest way to enjoy something this refreshing. The homemade raspberry-lemon syrup is built entirely from fresh raspberries, maple syrup, lemon zest, and water, simmered down and strained until silky smooth with zero additives in sight. Fresh-squeezed lemon juice adds a bright, tart backbone that no bottled shortcut can match. Once everything is chilled and combined with sparkling water, the result is a beautifully layered, rosy-pink cooler that looks as gorgeous as it tastes. It's elegant enough to serve at a summer gathering but simple enough to throw together on a weeknight when you just want something better than plain water.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the raspberry-lemon syrup
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
For the cooler
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4 lemons)
- 3 cups sparkling water, chilled
- 2 cups ice cubes
For serving
- 4 fresh raspberries, for garnish (optional)
- 4 lemon slices, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the raspberries, maple syrup, water, and lemon zest in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally and pressing the raspberries gently with the back of a spoon, until the berries have broken down and the syrup is slightly thickened, about 8–10 minutes.
- 2
Pour the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl or measuring cup, pressing the solids firmly to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids. Let the strained syrup cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 30 minutes.
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