Sparkling water’s got many health benefits – it’s good for the bones, it helps manage your cholesterol levels, maintains your weight, and of course, tastes great too! So, why not make your sparkling water even more interesting and add a refreshing dose of great taste while you are at it?
Sparkling Punch with Strawberry Mint Tea
Strawberries, in addition to being tasty, are high on antioxidants and Vitamin C and low on calories, making them a must-have for calorie counters. And mint tea is an extremely refreshing drink, ideal for those sweltering summer days. What’s more? Mint keeps your digestive system healthy too.
Blend these two together and you’ve got a wonderfully refreshing drink, which is light on the stomach, but filled with health benefits. You’ll need the following to make this drink:
- About 1 lb. of cleaned, hulled, halved fresh strawberries
- Sugar (optional)
- 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
- A pinch of salt
- Water
- Mint tea bags
- I litre of chilled Beloka Sparkling Mineral Water
- Mint sprigs and whole strawberries to garnish the drinks
Blend together the strawberries with 2 tablespoons of sugar (if you like), lemon juice and salt until you make a smooth puree and refrigerate it. Boil about 2.25 cups of water in a saucepan and put 6 mint teabags into this water. Take the pan off the heat and keep it covered, letting the tea steep for about 15 minutes.
Pour half a cup of sugar into a heat-resistant container. Pour the tea over this sugar, after removing the teabags and stir well to dissolve all the sugar. Add about 6 cups of cold water to the mix and chill it.
When you are ready to serve, mix the chilled strawberry puree with the mint tea well and pour it into your glass. Add sparkling water to the mix for a nice fizzy feel and garnish with mint sprigs and strawberries.
Watermelon Mojito
This is yet another perfect summer drink. Watermelon and mint make a perfect combination to cool and hydrate your body, ensuring that the heat doesn’t tire you out. Here’s what you need to make this drink:
- 8 full sprigs of fresh mint
- 4 cups of cubed, seedless watermelon
- ½ cup of simple syrup
- ½ cup fresh lime juice
- Beloka Sparkling Mineral Water
Put about 10 mint leaves into each tall glass and top it with watermelon cubes. Put about 1 tablespoon of simple syrup into each glass. Using a muddler or a wooden spoon handle, crush the mint and watermelon together in the glass.
Fill the glasses with crushed ice. Mix 1 tablespoon of lime juice into the glass and top it off with Beloka Sparkling Water.
Pear Sparkler
Pears are rich in vitamins and also contain boron, which help our bodies retain calcium in our bones. This drink is perfect for those who love spices – it’s warm and has a burst of exotic flavours. You’ll need:
- 1 cup of freshly prepared pear juice
- 1 teaspoon of lime juice
- ¾ cup of honey
- ¼ cup of sugar (optional)
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
- 1 small piece of ginger – peeled and cut into coin shapes
- Grated fresh nutmeg
- Beloka Sparkling Mineral Water
- Ice
Mix the pear juice with limejuice, honey, sugar, rosemary, ginger and nutmeg in a saucepan at medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and then let it simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Stir well to let the sugars dissolve completely.
Remove the saucepan from heat and allow it to cool down. Strain out the syrup using a mesh and keep it for cooling. Once cooled, you can use this syrup in your drink.
To make your drink, fill your glass halfway with ice cubes. Put 3 tablespoons of this syrup over the ice cubes and top it with sparkling water. For more flavour, add more syrup.
Hibiscus Mimosa
Hibiscus is rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C, and helps regulate blood pressure and cholesterol. It reduces the risk of heart disorders as well. This drink is on the more exotic side and ideal for the adventurous souls that love to experiment. Here are the ingredients:
- 1 wild hibiscus flower
- 30 ml pink grapefruit juice
- 30 ml St. Germain Elderflower liqueur
- 15 ml wild hibiscus syrup
- Beloka Sparkling Mineral Water
Place the hibiscus flower at the bottom of a long stemmed champagne flute. Shake the grapefruit juice, liqueur and hibiscus syrup together with ice and pour it gently into the flute over the flower. Top the flute with sparkling water and garnish it with grapefruit zest.