Summer is (almost) officially over, and though football season gives plenty of reason to booze it up for a Sunday Funday, sometimes this transition means a mocktail is in order. Like a cucumber basil lemonade.
Enter DRY Soda Co., masters of mocktails based on the Seattle-made craft flavored sodas. The company originally kicked off due to a craving for a great beverage: When founder Sharelle Klaus was pregnant, she wasn’t going to allow her lack of wine consumption slow down her quality drink consumption. Nearly 15 years later, DRY has two lines of soda: the culinary-inspired DRY Sparkling sodas and the zesty DRY Zero Sugar sodas.
In this recipe for cucumber basil lemonade featuring Cucumber DRY Sparkling, Klaus says it is all about refreshment this time of year. “Lemonade is the quintessential summer drink and pretty darn refreshing on its own, but why not take it a step further?” she adds. “I love fresh basil from my garden in the summer and the bubbles and freshness of DRY cucumber adds a crispness and a little sophistication to an old favorite.”
Made with just four ingredients, Cucumber DRY Sparkling and the original flavors were created in Klaus’ kitchen back in the day, a testament to how simple the formula for the craft drink is.
Today, with mocktails and the demand for nonalcoholic craft drinks on the rise, Klaus believes the future is bright. “Nonalcoholic bars are popping up across the country to cater to the growing population of people who aren’t drinking, mocktails are being spotted on restaurant menus around the country and booze sales overall are slumping,” she explains. “I think that there is an enormous opportunity for the beverage industry to cater to more premium, celebratory occasions that bring together food and drink experiences for the nonalcoholic set, and to get folks to not only think about what they are drinking, but to elevate how they think about serving their guests and their preferences.”
DRY offers that experience in this mocktail recipe, one Klaus believes is as sophisticated and enticing as any cocktail. “I believe that anyone should be able to kick back and enjoy a drink and conversation with friends and we all deserve to treat ourselves to something special,” she adds. “The best mocktails contain premium, fresh ingredients, high-quality mixers like DRY, and bold, unique flavor profiles that you can really taste.”
Taste the ingredients in this simple, booze-free mocktail for two from DRY Soda Co. to savor for the rest of the season.
Sparkling Cucumber Basil Lemonade
Makes 2 mocktails
3-inch length of cucumber, chilled and coarsely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
3 fresh basil leaves
2 ounces fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 ounces still water
2 ounces simple syrup
4-5 ounces Cucumber DRY Sparkling soda, to top
In a blender, blend together the cucumber, basil, lemon juice, water and simple syrup until smooth. Fill two Mason jars with ice and divide the mixture between the two. Top with Cucumber DRY Sparkling and garnish as desired.
