Barley Free Cucumber-Basil Salty Mint Lemonade Soda

Total time25 min

Prep time10 min

Cook time5 min

5.0

(3)

Barley Free Cucumber-Basil Salty Mint Lemonade Soda

This drink is the kind of thing you make once and immediately want every single day of summer. Fresh cucumber gets muddled down to pure juice, then layered with a honey syrup steeped in basil and mint leaves, bright lemon juice, and just a pinch of sea salt that makes every other flavor pop. The result is floral, cooling, and a little sophisticated — somewhere between a spa water and a proper craft soda. Every ingredient here is naturally free of grain-based additives, so there's no need to scrutinize labels or worry about hidden fillers sneaking into your glass. The honey syrup comes together in minutes on the stovetop, and the whole drink is assembled without any special equipment beyond a muddler and a strainer. It's genuinely refreshing served over ice with a sprig of fresh herbs tucked in for garnish, and it scales up easily if you're making it for a crowd.

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Ingredients

2 servings

For the honey syrup

3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp water
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed

For the drink

½ cup cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 ½ lemons)
¼ tsp fine sea salt
2 cups sparkling water, chilled
1 cup ice cubes

For serving

2 thin cucumber slices, for garnish (optional)
2 small fresh basil or mint sprigs, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1
Combine the honey and water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until the honey fully dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the basil and mint leaves, and stir to submerge them.
2
Let the herb syrup steep off the heat for 10 minutes, until fragrant and lightly tinted green.

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