High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Garden Lemon Ginger Cooler
This refreshing garden drink is everything a summer cooler should be — bright, herbal, and just the right amount of zingy. The sweetness here comes entirely from maple syrup, which means none of the processed, corn-derived sweeteners that sneak into so many store-bought lemonades and flavored sodas. A homemade ginger simple syrup is the backbone of the whole thing, steeped low and slow so every sip carries that warm, aromatic heat. Fresh lemon juice, muddled cucumber, and bruised mint leaves layer in a garden-fresh complexity that no bottled drink can touch. The sparkling water finish gives it a festive lift without any mystery ingredients. It comes together in one pitcher and looks stunning with a lemon slice and mint sprig on the rim — effortlessly impressive for a backyard gathering or a quiet afternoon on the porch.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the ginger simple syrup
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
For the cooler
- ¾ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4–5 lemons)
- ½ medium english cucumber, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, lightly packed
- 2 cups cold water
- 2 cups sparkling water, chilled
For serving
- 2 cups ice cubes
- 4 lemon slices (optional)
- 4 fresh mint sprigs (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the 1/2 cup water, maple syrup, and sliced ginger in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the maple syrup dissolves. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes, until the syrup is fragrant and the ginger has softened slightly.
- 2
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the ginger syrup steep for 15 minutes, until the ginger flavor is pronounced. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl or measuring cup, pressing the ginger slices to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids.
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