MSG Free Cranberry Ginger Cooler
This vibrant, refreshing drink is built entirely from whole, recognizable ingredients — fresh ginger, real cranberry juice, maple syrup, and lime — so there's no guesswork about what's actually in your glass. Packaged drink mixes and flavored sodas are notorious for sneaking in additives and flavor enhancers, but every element here is clean and straightforward. The ginger syrup is the real star: a quick simmer coaxes out a bold, warming depth that pairs beautifully with the tart cranberry and bright citrus. Topping it all off with sparkling water gives you that satisfying fizz without any of the questionable extras found in commercial sodas. It's the kind of drink that looks impressive enough for a dinner party but comes together with minimal effort and a short ingredient list. Serve it over ice with a sprig of mint and a lime wheel, and it's almost too pretty to drink — almost.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the ginger syrup
- 1 cup 100% cranberry juice (unsweetened)
- ½ cup water
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
For the cooler
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- 2 cups sparkling water
- 2 cups ice cubes
For serving
- 4 sprigs fresh mint (optional)
- 4 thin lime slices (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the water, maple syrup, and sliced ginger in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the maple syrup dissolves. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes, until the syrup is fragrant and the ginger flavor is pronounced.
- 2
Remove from the heat and let the ginger syrup steep for 15 minutes, until cooled to room temperature. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher, pressing the ginger slices to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids.
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