Vegetarian Cucumber-Basil Salty Mint Lemonade Soda
Fresh cucumber gets muddled down to pure juice, then layered with a honey-herb syrup steeped in real basil and mint — the result is a drink that tastes like a garden in a glass. That pinch of fine sea salt is the quiet hero here, rounding out the brightness of the lemon and making every sip feel more complex than you'd expect from something so simple to put together. The honey syrup comes together in minutes on the stovetop, and the steeping step is what gives it that gorgeous, lightly green tint and deeply herbal fragrance. Because everything is made from scratch with fresh produce, sparkling water, and honey, there's nothing hidden to second-guess — just clean, real ingredients from start to finish. It's the kind of drink that looks genuinely impressive with a cucumber slice and a sprig of mint balanced on the rim, but the process is relaxed enough for a weeknight. Serve it the moment it's assembled so the bubbles stay lively and the ice keeps everything perfectly cold.
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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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