Citric Acid Free Cucumber-Basil Salty Mint Lemonade Soda
This drink is the ultimate warm-weather refresher — cool, herby, lightly salty, and fizzing with sparkling water in a way that feels genuinely special. The base is a honey syrup steeped with fresh basil and mint, which gives the whole glass a fragrant, garden-fresh backbone that no bottled mixer could replicate. Muddled cucumber adds a clean, watery sweetness that keeps things light and hydrating rather than cloying. The small pinch of sea salt is the secret weapon here, rounding out the flavors and making every sip taste more alive. For anyone navigating citric acid sensitivities, the lemon juice here comes straight from fresh lemons — no processed citric acid additives, no preservatives, just real fruit squeezed to order. Everything in this recipe is whole and identifiable, which makes it a genuinely trustworthy option when store-bought sodas and flavored sparkling waters are off the table. Serve it immediately over ice for maximum fizz and that gorgeous pale green color.
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Learn more →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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