Ah, summer. The sun comes out and so do the ice-cold beverages. This is prime mocktail season, so put away the ginger ale and grenadine, and put your sparkling water machines to work on these fun-time drinks. It’s an ideal time to review your specialty beverage menu to take advantage of the sudden influx of seasonal fresh fruit.
Fruit’s natural sweetness cuts down the need for added sugar in your mocktails, which is always appreciated by the health-conscious. Fruit also contains plenty of natural soluble fiber, coveted for its digestive and heart-healthy benefits, and possible cancer-fighting properties.
People enjoy a good mocktail for its health benefits as well as for providing hydration. The hydration aspect is especially important in hot weather. Alcoholic drinks don’t actually quench thirst. Instead, they pull moisture from the body due to their diuretic effects. Summertime mocktails serve a valuable hydration purpose by being festive and fun without the added baggage of alcohol. Natura filtered water makes them extra crisp and refreshing.
Offer some creative recipes using fresh fruit and filtered water from your carbonated water dispenser and you’re sure to win new converts. Customers will also appreciate that you’re using an eco-friendly water system instead of relying on canned or bottled beverages.
Beyond health and hydration, fruit tastes good! It’s a universally beloved natural snack.
Fruit also is plentiful and often on sale this time of year, meaning you can mix up some better-for-you beverages while enjoying even higher-than-usual margins.
Below are three mocktail recipes that showcase three of the most popular fruits of the summer season—watermelon, strawberries, and peaches. You can find more ideas here
Watermelon Mojito Mocktail
Perhaps no fruit is more closely associated with summer than watermelon, its presence mandatory at every family picnic. This clever recipe marries the luscious sweetness of the melon with the refreshing spikiness of mint for a Cuban-inspired cooler that’s low on added sugar.
Ingredients: (makes 2):
• 1 ounce simple syrup and 4 ounces watermelon puree
• 6 fresh mint leaves and pinch of salt
• 2 ounces Natura sparkling water and ice cubes
Instructions:
• In a cocktail shaker, muddle mint leaves with salt and ice
• Add simple syrup and watermelon juice. Shake.
• Pour into glass and top with Natura sparkling water
Sunshine Berry Spritzer
Accented by summertime favorite strawberries, this sweet and tart concoction will conjure feelings of relaxing at an all-inclusive resort or whiling away the hours with friends at a casual, upscale brunch.
Ingredients: (makes 2):
• 1 cup orange juice and 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1 cup frozen sliced strawberries
• 2 cups Natura sparkling water and ice cubes
Instructions:
• Fill a 32 oz. pitcher with juice and add strawberries
• Mix together and then add Natura water and ice
Sparkling Peach Mocktail
The southern favorite takes center stage in this sweet refresher. Garnish with skin-on peach chunks and let customers imagine they’re lounging on a porch swing in Georgia.
Ingredients: (makes 2):
• 1/2 cup peach juice and 1/4 cup agave syrup
• 2 cups Natura sparkling water and ice cubes
Instructions:
• Add peach juice to a 32 oz. pitcher
• Add agave and stir until dissolved. Fill glass with ice
• Pour into glass and top with Natura sparkling water
Get your recipe for success with a Natura Water System.