Watermelon Mint Mocktail {Low-Sugar, Low-Acid}

Since this month’s Recipe Redux theme is cocktails and mocktails, you know I’ve gotta make a mocktail for all you pregnant mamas out there! (Including myself!)

Showers and celebrations with friends abound this time of year. Show us your healthy, colorful drink concoctions for festivities like bridal showers and graduation celebrations.

I really dislike how sickly sweet most mocktails are. My go-to cocktail when not pregnant is definitely a lime margarita, but I like them really fresh and hardly sweetened at all. But my original plan to make the low-sugar lime mock-a-rita recipe that got me through my first pregnancy was thwarted because my heartburn has been so much worse with this pregnancy! A drink that was predominantly acidic lime just was just out of the question.

Watermelons are among the lowest acid fruits, so they were a natural choice to serve as the base for this recipe. I’ve also added mint and orange bitters and topped it of with tonic water. Keep in mind that tonic water is essentially soda, despite the name and bitter flavor! It typically contains less sugar that other types of soda, but it’s manufactured the same way and the inexpensive versions typically contain high fructose corn syrup. That doesn’t bother me since I really don’t drink it that often, but there are also a lot of higher-end tonic water brands out there (like Fever Tree and Q) and those would definitely be a nice touch if you were making this for a special occasion.

And I have used a little lime juice since it definitely adds a needed touch, but I consider it optional. If you’re really struggling with heartburn, leave it out and use more tonic water instead.

Print

Watermelon Mint Mocktail

Cuisine Blender

Ingredients

• 4 cups cubed watermelon
• 1 1/2 cups tonic water
• 1/2 cup lime juice OR additional tonic water*
• 1/2 cup packed mint leaves
• 2 tbsp orange bitters

Instructions

1. Thoroughly chill all ingredients.
2. Add watermelon, lime juice, mint and bitters to high-speed blender. Blend until fully combined.
3. Add tonic water to blender** and pulse once or twice until fully combined.
4. Pour into glasses and garnish with additional mint.

Recipe Notes

*Omit the lime juice in favor of additional tonic water if you really want to avoid acid, or use a mix such as 1/4 cup lime juice and 1/4 cup additional tonic water.

**Since carbonation can also contribute to heartburn, you can also add the tonic water in step #2 as blending will remove most of the carbonation but leave the slightly sweet, bitter flavor.