MSG Free Sparkling Coffee Maple Agua Fresca
This drink is the kind of thing that makes you wonder why you ever paid for a fancy coffee shop beverage in the first place. Cold brew concentrate forms the backbone — steeped overnight for a smooth, mellow coffee flavor that never turns bitter — then it gets lifted with real maple syrup and a bright hit of fresh lime juice. The result is refreshing in a way that feels genuinely sophisticated, somewhere between a coffee cocktail and a agua fresca, finished tableside with a pour of sparkling water for that satisfying fizz. For anyone navigating ingredient sensitivities, this recipe is beautifully straightforward. Every component is whole and recognizable — ground coffee, limes, maple syrup, salt, and water — with zero processed flavor packets or seasoning blends that might sneak in unwanted additives. That simplicity is part of what makes it so appealing: you know exactly what's going into your glass. The gentle sweetness of maple plays off the coffee's natural depth in a way that feels balanced rather than sugary, and the lime keeps everything tasting alive and fresh. Serve it over ice with a wedge of lime on the rim and it's instantly the most interesting thing on the table.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the cold brew concentrate
- ½ cup coarsely ground coffee
- 2 cups cold water
For the agua fresca
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 2 cups cold water
For serving
- 2 cups sparkling water, chilled
- ice cubes, for serving
- lime wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the coarsely ground coffee and 2 cups cold water in a large pitcher. Stir briefly to saturate all the grounds, then cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- 2
Set a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl or large measuring cup and pour the cold brew through it, discarding the spent grounds. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of concentrate.
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