Turkey 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 homemade honey-herb syrup steeped with real basil and mint leaves — the result is floral, cooling, and just a little savory from a pinch of sea salt. That tiny hit of salt is the secret weapon here, rounding out the brightness of the fresh lemon juice and making the whole glass taste more alive. Sparkling water goes in last, keeping everything effervescent and light. Since every component is made from scratch with whole, simple ingredients, there's zero guesswork about what's actually in your glass — no mystery additives, no processed shortcuts. It comes together in a handful of steps and looks genuinely stunning with a cucumber slice and a sprig of herbs tucked over the rim. Whether you're sipping solo or pouring for a crowd, this is the kind of homemade refresher that makes store-bought sodas feel completely unnecessary.
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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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