Pecan Free Garden Lemon Ginger Cooler
This refreshing drink is the kind of thing you want to sip on a hot afternoon when you need something that feels a little more special than plain lemonade. Fresh lemon juice, muddled cucumber, and bright mint come together in a pitcher that looks as gorgeous as it tastes. The ginger simple syrup — made by simmering fresh ginger slices with maple syrup — adds a warm, slightly spicy backbone that makes every sip genuinely interesting. Because everything here is built from whole, straightforward ingredients, there's no need to scan labels or second-guess what's hiding in a store-bought mix. The sparkling water finish gives it that satisfying fizz without any fuss, and the optional lemon and mint garnish make it feel like something you'd order at a garden party. It's endlessly easy to scale up for a crowd, and the ginger syrup can be made ahead so assembly takes just minutes when guests arrive.
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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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