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Think: Cherry Lime Rickey–but with healthier, fresher ingredients! This Cherry Lime Refresher is hydrating, full of electrolytes, and perfect for hot summer days.
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This Cherry Lime Refresher is what summer dreams are made of! Not only is it hydrating and full of electrolytes, but it’s a lot more fun to drink that gatorade when you’re poolside or gardening.
Why I'm loving this refresher
I’m loving this recipe because it’s full of fresh, healthy ingredients. A lot of mocktails are total sugar-bombs, and while there’s a time and a place for that, it’s not something I want everyday, you know?
I love refreshers that are light but still full of fresh flavors–this drink is exactly that! Also, I’m taking the em dash back from the robots, I will not stop using it when writing my posts!
What you'll need to make it
You’ll need just a few simple, (but fresh) ingredients!
- Cherries - fresh, with stems and pits removed.
- Lime juice - for acidity and flavor. Limes are awesome. Save a wedge or a slice for garnish.
- Honey - for just a little natural sweetness.
- Sea salt - for electrolytes and a bit of flavor.
- Ice - enough to fill your glass.
- Coconut water - for hydration and health benefits such as a boost in potassium and electrolytes.
- Sparkling water - you can also use a flavored sparkling (such as lime, cherry, or even mint) water or kombucha for a fuller-bodied flavor.
How to make it (+video)
- First grab a wide-mouth mason jar or a cocktail shaker and add the pitted cherries, lime juice, honey, and sea salt. Muddle it well.
- Fill the glass you’d like to drink out of with ice.
- Then strain the mixture over the ice.
- Finally add the coconut water and sparkling water–give it a little stir. And finish it off with a lime wedge for garnish.
Food pairing suggestions
This drink pairs well with anything, because it’s a light refresher and acts as a palate cleaner. My favorite pairing is with grilled meats or salads such as this blackberry salad or this viral fajita salad.
Swaps you could try
- The sparkling water - plain sparkling water is the lightest option here, but you can certainly feel free to use a flavored seltzer (such as lime, cherry, or even mint), or kombucha. If you like coconut water a lot, you can fill the rest of your glass with that as well.
- Lime - you can swap the lime for lemon juice if that’s what you have on hand.
Elevate this recipe with...
- Fresh herbs - mint, basil, rosemary, or thyme would be great additions to this drink. You can use them as garnish or muddle them with the cherries for even more flavor.
- Limeade ice - if you have the time and plan ahead, use some store-bought or homemade limeade to make fresh ice cubes.
Tools that are nice to have
You do not need to go out and buy any fancy tools for any of this. That said, it’s really nice to have a good muddler.
This is the muddler I like. You can get it here.
A cocktail shaker is also nice to have. But I just use a mason jar and a strainer, mostly because it takes up less kitchen space.
More elevated, functional summer mocktails
I’m a big fan of mocktails and functional drinks that aren’t just tasty, but also good for you! Try one of my other mocktail recipes–my favorites are the Relaxing Cherry Juice Mocktail and the Blackberry Mojito Mocktail!
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Ingredients
- 6 sweet cherries pitted
- 1 oz lime juice the juice from about 1 lime
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 pinch sea salt
- ½ cup ice *or enough to fill your glass
- 2 oz coconut water
- 5 oz sparkling water *or enough to fill your glass
- 1 lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- To a cocktail shaker (or mason jar with a lid, add your pitted cherries, lime juice, honey and sea salt.
- Muddle it well.
- Fill your glass with ice.
- Strain the mixture over the ice.
- Add the coconut water and sparkling water. Give it a gentle stir.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
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