Red Meat Allergy Friendly 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 fragrant honey syrup steeped in basil and mint, bright lemon juice, and a pinch of sea salt that makes every sip taste more alive. The salt is the secret weapon here — it sharpens the citrus and brings out the herbal notes in a way that plain lemonade just can't compete with. Everything in this glass is plant-based and naturally free from any animal proteins, so there's zero guesswork about what's actually in your cup. Topped off with chilled sparkling water, it's effervescent and refreshing without being cloying. Garnish with a cucumber ribbon and a sprig of mint if you want it to look as good as it tastes — though honestly, it disappears fast either way.
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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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