Ginger Free Cucumber-Basil Salty Mint Lemonade Soda
This drink is the kind of thing you make once and immediately want to serve at every warm-weather gathering. Fresh cucumber gets muddled down to pure juice, then layered with a honey syrup steeped in basil and mint leaves — the result is floral, cooling, and just a little savory from a pinch of sea salt. That unexpected salt is what takes it from pleasant to genuinely craveable, rounding out the brightness of the fresh lemon juice in the best way. So many store-bought sodas and flavored sparkling waters sneak in ginger for that signature "zing," but this recipe builds all of its complexity from herbs, citrus, and cucumber instead — no ginger anywhere in sight. The honey syrup comes together in minutes on the stovetop, and the whole drink is assembled glass by glass, so it feels a little special without requiring any real effort. Topped off with chilled sparkling water and a sprig of fresh basil or mint, it looks as good as it tastes.
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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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