Coconut Free Garden Strawberry Lime Cooler
This vibrant, fruit-forward cooler is the kind of drink that makes a hot afternoon feel like a celebration. Fresh strawberries are simmered down with maple syrup, water, and lime zest into a gorgeous deep-pink syrup that forms the backbone of the whole drink — bright, a little tart, and naturally sweet. Bright lime juice amplifies that citrus punch before everything gets topped off with chilled sparkling water for a refreshing fizz in every sip. So many store-bought flavored drinks and syrups sneak in coconut water, coconut sugar, or coconut-derived additives, but every single ingredient here is straightforward and easy to verify. Making the syrup from scratch takes only a few minutes on the stovetop, and straining it leaves you with a silky, jewel-toned base that looks stunning poured over ice. Garnished with fresh mint and a lime wheel, it's genuinely impressive enough to serve at a backyard gathering but simple enough to whip up on a weeknight.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the strawberry-lime syrup
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup water
- 1 ½ cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
- 1 tbsp lime zest (from about 2 limes)
For the cooler
- ½ cup fresh lime juice (from about 4 limes)
- 3 cups sparkling water, chilled
- 2 cups ice cubes
For serving
- 4 fresh mint sprigs (optional)
- 4 lime wheels or wedges (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the maple syrup, water, strawberries, and lime zest in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries soften and begin to break down and the syrup turns a deep pink, about 4–5 minutes.
- 2
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the mixture cool for 15 minutes. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher, pressing the solids firmly with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids.
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