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Skip to Recipe Watch the VideoA delicious non-alcoholic sip for summer, this sparkling Cherry Lime Mocktail is an easy mocktail recipe that’s the perfect choice for your next backyard party, baby shower, or BBQ.

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Summer is the perfect time to enjoy non-alcoholic drinks - or mocktails. (What is a mocktail?) A delicious sip on the back porch or dining outside with friends is what summer nights were made for.
With fresh cherries being easy to find at the grocery store in the middle of summer, delicious mocktails that skip the jar of maraschino cherries are in order.
The most famous cherry mocktail is the Shirley Temple, but many see it as a drink for kids.
This cherry lime mocktail is a great option for grown ups, swapping the overly sweet lemon-lime soda for tonic water and grenadine syrup for homemade sweet cherry syrup. Bright lime and a hint of honey balance out this easy recipe.
Looking for a Sonic copycat? Check out this Cherry Limeade recipe.
What's in a Cherry Lime Mocktail
- Fresh lime - Fresh citrus is always best in your drinks. You'll need about 1 lime per mocktail for this recipe.
- Sweet cherry syrup - Brings bright, sweet cherry flavor to this mocktail.
- Honey syrup - Adds dimension and floral notes to the drink.
- Tonic water - Choose plain tonic water or cherry if it's available.
How to Make a Sweet Cherry Lime Mocktail (Step by Step)
Combine cherry syrup, lime juice, and honey syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Shake and strain into a glass filled with ice cubes.
Top with cherry tonic water.
Stir gently to combine.
Garnish with a fresh cherry or lime wedge.
Recipe Tips
Make your simple syrups ahead of time. You will want to be sure your cherry and honey syrups have time to chill completely before using. I often make my syrups in the morning so they’re ready for happy hour later in the day. Using warm syrup will cause the ice in your drink to melt too quickly and add too much water when you’re shaking up your mocktail.
Take the time to find cherry tonic water or sparkling water. There's several brand options here. I love Fruitbelt tonic water, a women owned company from Michigan. Their products are available throughout the U.S., but especially in the Midwest.
Make Homemade Cherry Simple Syrup
Whether using fresh or frozen cherries, homemade cherry simple syrup is SO MUCH better than store bought cherry syrup, with none of the artificial colors or medicinal flavors. Get the recipe for my 10 minute cherry simple syrup.
Frequently Asked Questions
This drink was created using homemade sweet cherry syrup, which takes about 10 minutes and 3 ingredients to make. Get the recipe and tips over on my Cherry Simple Syrup page.
Yes! There are only 4 ingredients in this recipe, so fresh juice is super important here. Plan on 1 lime per drink. You may need less, depending on the size of the lime.
Plain tonic water or cherry sparkling water are both delicious substitutes if you can’t find cherry tonic water.
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Sparkling Cherry Lime Mocktail
Ingredients
- 0.5 oz fresh lime juice
- 1 oz cherry syrup
- 0.5 oz honey syrup
- 4 oz tonic water or sparkling water cherry flavored, if possible
Instructions
- Combine cherry syrup, lime juice, and honey syrup in a shaker filled with ice.
- Shake and strain into a glass filled with ice cubes.
- Top with tonic water.
- Stir gently to combine.
- Garnish with a fresh cherry or lime wedge.
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