Ginger Free Cucumber Mint Sparkling Cooler
This sparkling cooler is the kind of drink that looks like it came from a fancy café but comes together entirely in your own kitchen. Cool cucumber, bright lime, and a homemade maple-mint syrup combine into something genuinely refreshing — the kind of glass you reach for on a hot afternoon and immediately want a second of. Many store-bought flavored sparkling drinks sneak in ginger as a "zing" ingredient, so making your own is the cleanest way to get that lively, effervescent sip without any unwanted surprises. The mint syrup is steeped from scratch using just maple syrup, water, and fresh leaves, so you know exactly what's in every sip. Blending and straining the cucumber gives the base a silky, almost elegant texture that feels far more elevated than the effort involved. A final pour of chilled sparkling water right before serving keeps the bubbles lively and the whole drink feeling light. It's a crowd-pleaser for gatherings or a quiet treat just for yourself — gorgeous in the glass either way.
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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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