Seed Oil Free Garden Lemon Ginger Cooler
This bright, garden-fresh drink is everything a warm-weather beverage should be — zingy, cooling, and just sweet enough to feel like a treat. Fresh lemon juice, muddled cucumber, and bruised mint leaves give it a clean, layered flavor that tastes like it came from a fancy café, not your own kitchen. The sweetness comes from a quick maple syrup and ginger simple syrup that you make right on the stovetop, so you know exactly what's in every sip. That matters more than people realize — a lot of bottled drinks and flavored syrups sneak in refined oils or oil-derived additives during processing, and making your own from scratch sidesteps all of that completely. Every single ingredient here is whole and recognizable, from the squeezed lemons to the sparkling water finish. The sparkling water added at the end keeps things lively and effervescent, making it feel celebratory without any fuss. It's the kind of drink you'll want to keep a pitcher of in the fridge all season long.
About FigFig is a food discovery app that helps you find foods and recipes that fit your dietary needs. Whether you have food allergies, intolerances, or follow a specific diet, Fig makes it easy to eat with confidence.
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.
Want the full recipe?
Create a Fig account for step-by-step instructions, access to our full recipe library, and more!