Gelatin Free Cucumber Mint Sparkling Cooler
This sparkling drink is the kind of thing you make once and immediately want to serve at every warm-weather gathering. Fresh cucumber is blended and strained into a clean, cool base, then brightened with real lime juice and a homemade mint syrup built from maple syrup and steeped fresh leaves — no shortcuts, no mystery additives. That matters more than it might seem, because plenty of store-bought flavored drinks and cocktail mixers sneak in gelatin-derived fining agents or other animal-based stabilizers that are nearly impossible to spot on a label. Everything here is completely plant-based and made from scratch, so you know exactly what's going into your glass. The mint syrup comes together in minutes and adds a floral, herby sweetness that plays beautifully against the fizz of chilled sparkling water. It's refreshing in the most literal sense — light, crisp, and just a little fancy without requiring any real effort. Pour it over ice with a lime slice and a sprig of mint, and it looks like something from a boutique café menu.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the mint simple syrup
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed, plus more for garnish
For the cucumber base
- 1 medium english cucumber (about 12 oz), peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- 1 cup cold water
To finish
- 2 cups sparkling water, chilled
For serving
- ice cubes, for serving
- lime slices, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the maple syrup and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the syrup dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add the mint leaves, and stir to submerge. Let steep for 20 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl, pressing the leaves to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the spent mint. Let the syrup cool to room temperature.
- 2
Add the chopped cucumber and 1 cup cold water to a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 30 seconds. Pour through the fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher, pressing the solids with the back of a spoon to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids.
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