Refreshing Lemon Elderflower Mocktail

Cool off on a hot Summer day with this delicious and refreshing Lemon Elderflower Mocktail recipe. Made with lemon simple syrup and sparkling elderflower soda, it's the perfect alcohol-free alternative to traditional cocktails.

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If you’re craving something light, refreshing, and just the right amount of fancy, my Lemon Elderflower Mocktail is exactly what you need! It’s sweet, a little tart, and has the prettiest floral touch thanks to the sparkling elderflower soda.

Whether you’re hosting brunch, a shower, or just want a refreshing drink to sip on the front porch, this non-alcoholic elderflower cocktail is a total crowd-pleaser. Let’s whip up a batch — you’re going to love it!

(p.s. I created this recipe especially for my friends at New York Living. I did a "Spring Floral Brunch" segment for them with all floral recipes and this refreshing sip was absolutely celebratory!

Ingredients & Substitutions

With only three ingredients, there's not a lot of places to hide substitutions, but I have a few ideas for you:

• Lemons - I strongly request that you only use fresh lemons for your lemon simple syrup. If you can't find them, or they're too pricey, just use the very best bottled lemon juice that you can afford. You could also use orange or lime juices if you have that and still have bright citrus flavors.
• Sugar - Plain granulated sugar, or caster sugar, along with water and lemon juice, is all we need to make this lemon simple syrup. And honestly, as delicious as this lemon simple syrup is, you can make this mocktail with lemonade and elderflower soda and make elderflower lemonade. I'm not looking and I'm not judging.
• Elderflower soda - I like elderflower tonic water, which is like a sparkling water with a nice floral touch. I've also bought the sparkling elderflower soda at IKEA and it works pretty well too. You can also use Belvoir lemon elderflower soda water, which will only reinforce the lemon flavors. You could also skip making the lemon simple syrup and use elderflower syrup or elderflower cordial, both of which are non-alcoholic floral sweeteners.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Simpl Instructions

The thing I love about mocktails is they're so simple to make. The "hardest" part is making the simple syrup and the garnish. I have a wide variety of flavored simple syrups in my refrigerator for any mocktail emergencies, and garnishing is just for fun. Let's make this cute little mocktail:

How to make lemon simple syrup

Step 1: Combine lemon juice and water in a small sauce pan.

Step 2: Add sugar and bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Let cool storing.

How to make a lemon twist garnish

You don't have to garnish a non-alcoholic cocktail, but why wouldn't you? But if you don't want to make a lemon wheel garnish, you could top with a sprinkling of edible flowers, fresh mint leaves, or even drop in a few fresh berries. But if you're game for a lemon twist, here's how I do it:

Step 1: Slice your lemon into rings or wheels.

Step 2: Make a slice halfway through your round lemon slice.

Step 3: Twist the round and push a metal skewer through three spots in the rind.

Step 4: Garnish your drink because you're fancy.

Recipe FAQs

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