MSG Free Cucumber Mint Sparkling Cooler
This sparkling drink is the kind of thing you make once and then find yourself craving all summer long. Fresh cucumber is blended and strained into a silky, pale green base that tastes clean and cooling in a way that no store-bought mixer ever quite manages. A homemade mint simple syrup — steeped low and slow with real mint leaves and maple syrup — adds gentle sweetness without any of the artificial flavoring or preservatives that sneak into commercial syrups. Bright lime juice ties everything together before a pour of chilled sparkling water brings the whole thing to life with a satisfying fizz. Every single ingredient here is whole and recognizable, which means you can sip without a second thought about hidden additives. It's elegant enough to serve at a gathering but simple enough to throw together on a weeknight when you just want something refreshing that isn't plain water.
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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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