BHA & BHT Free Lemon Ginger Mocktail

Total time30 min

Prep time10 min

Cook time5 min

Bright, zingy, and genuinely refreshing, this sparkling drink is built on three clean, whole ingredients — fresh ginger, real lemon juice, and a simple homemade syrup — so you know exactly what's going into every sip. That matters more than it might seem, because many bottled sodas, flavored waters, and commercial drink mixes rely on synthetic preservatives that people avoiding BHA and BHT have to watch out for on labels. Here, you make the ginger syrup yourself from scratch, simmering fresh ginger slices with sugar and water until the kitchen smells incredible, then straining it into a silky, fragrant concentrate. Paired with freshly squeezed lemon juice and sparkling water, the result is effervescent and lively with a gentle heat that sneaks up on you in the best way. Pouring the sparkling water slowly down the side of the glass keeps every pour beautifully fizzy, and a sprig of mint or a lemon wheel on the rim makes it feel genuinely special. It's the kind of drink that works equally well for a quiet afternoon at home or as a crowd-pleasing option at a gathering where not everyone is drinking alcohol.

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Ingredients

2 servings

For the ginger syrup

¼ cup granulated sugar
C&H Pure Cane Granulated White Sugar 10LB Domino Sugar Pure Cane Granulated - 10 Lb C&H Premium Pure Cane Granulated Sugar 4LB Domino Sugar Pure Cane Granulated - 32 Oz Imperial Sugar Granulated Pure Cane Sugar
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¼ cup water
1 oz fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced (about 6–8 slices)

For the mocktail

½ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 3–4 lemons)
2 tbsp ginger syrup (from above)
1 ½ cups sparkling water
1 cup ice cubes

For serving

2 lemon slices, for garnish (optional)
2 sprigs fresh mint, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1
Combine the sugar, water, and ginger slices in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely, about 2 minutes.
2
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes, until the syrup is slightly thickened and fragrant with ginger. Remove from heat.

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