Go sugar and alcohol-free with your very own sparkling water ‘bar’

Let’s face it, everyone loves a summer cocktail. Lounging with a frosty G&T on a Sunday afternoon is easily one of our top 5 favourite pastimes. 

Even though the monsoon is here, we reckon it’s still appropriate to have a summery drink (or several) now and then. So we decided to use Boca to try something a little different, and craft some coolers that have no sugar or alcohol and yet are full of deliciousness and fizz. We call these our tee-total treats!

We were invited to be the beverage partner for an event conducted by the lovely folks at Nourish Organics and BoulderBox, and it was the perfect excuse to try it out.

What did we do? We created a sparkling water menu with fruits and herbs to 'infuse' Boca sparkling water with subtle flavour. 

The best part is that you can do this at home for a dinner party, or even just as a way to unwind after a long day. If you love trying out new types of drinks, this is definitely just the thing for you.

Recipe ideas

Here are some of the combinations we tried out, though you’re encouraged to let your imagination run wild and play around with as many flavours as you like.  

Orange and basil 🍊

A delicious combination, and very easy to put together. Muddle the basil with the muddler (or by slapping it against your palm), and add it to the sparkling water along with two orange slices.

 

Lime and himalayan pink salt 🍋

A mix so classic, that you really don’t need a tutorial for it! Bust just in case: squeeze in the lemon juice, add a lime wedge, and either sprinkle the salt in directly, or just coat the rim of the glass. According to fitness experts, himalayan pink salt is one of the best choices to replenish the salts lost after a workout.

 

Cucumber and mint 🥒

Another summer favourite. Cucumber strips infuse into sparkling water very quickly, so this is a drink you can whip up in a matter of minutes. Not to mention it tastes absolutely delicious!

 

Peach and plum 🍑

This is a bit of a tricky one. Be sure to muddle the fruits lightly, as too much pressure causes the drink to turn into a slurry of sorts. It was the best-looking, most colourful drink by far, but it takes a while to infuse. So you can always leave it for a bit to let the flavours develop before you drink it.

Barware

The only tool that may help is a cocktail muddler. Muddling is basically the technique of pressing fresh herbs to release their essential oils. This extracts maximum flavour from the herbs, helping them infuse better with the sparkling water, which in turn leads to a very tasty drink. If you want to learn how to use a muddler, there’s a handy lesson for it right here.

One other thing, use some nice glassware - we went for highball glasses and white wine glasses, which work very well. Most importantly, it’s a great way to simulate the feeling of having a fancy cocktail, while doing away with all the calories.

Sugar-free and sober curious

A big reason we decided to explore these non-alcoholic recipes (apart from the fact that they still taste amazing), is to explore the rise of a sober curious trend. There are plenty of people around the world who are increasingly choosing to abstain from alcohol, either partially or entirely, and for various reasons. However, most ‘mocktails’ that you find are still loaded with sugar. So this is just a way to show that you can still have a tasty, refreshing drink without all the stuff that makes people worry about their health. It’s also a handy substitute in case a life event calls for someone to be off alcohol, such as pregnancy or dietary restrictions.

And of course there are plenty of people who just love the freshness of sparkling water, but want a bit more flavour - this is a great, easy way to achieve that. You pretty much just need two or three ingredients, and a glass, and you’re good to go.

Finally, we want to give two shoutouts. To Nourish Organics, Kica and BoulderBox for helping us with the event. 

Second, to California blogger La Jolla Mom, whose post gave us the inspiration to create our own sparkling water bar.

We’ll probably have another one soon, so keep your eyes peeled for updates on our Instagram account.

Until then, happy mixing, and as always, may the fizz be with you!