Megan Deschaine is a veteran of some of the East Coast’s finest bars: She worked at Rye Craft Cocktails and Mr. Rain’s Fun House in Baltimore before relocating in Charleston’s iconic restaurant scene. She served as the bar manager at Doar Bros., The MacIntosh (now closed), and Four Ninety Two before launching her own brand, Megan Makes Drinks. Now leading private cocktail consulting and bartending services throughout the Charleston area, she’s both an expert and artist when it comes to crafting original cocktail recipes.
She says so herself: It doesn’t need booze to be delicious. She crafts this refreshing summer beverage using fresh fruit juice, green tea, and premium sparkling water for a nonalcoholic drink loaded with health benefits. It’s worth making the lime juice yourself for this drink. As Deschaine says, “The fresher, the better!” The pomegranate juice isn’t nearly as labor intense—pre-bottled ones (Deschaine recommends POM) work fine). For added minerals and nutrients, the Free Spirit gets lengthened with Mountain Valley Spring Water, a premium sparkling water that’s been bottled at the source in the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas since 1871. Mountain Valley Spring Water has long been loved for its sustainable sourcing, high minerality, and balanced pH. Deschaine makes this drink particularly summer ready with the Blackberry Pomegranate Essences sparkling water.
recipe 
yields
1 Drink
1½ ounces watermelon juice
¾ ounce green tea
½ ounce lime juice
½ ounce POM Juice
½ ounce Madagascar Vanilla Syrup
Mountain Valley Sparkling Blackberry Pomegranate Twist Essences
Garnish: Fennel frond, blackberry
Ingredients
steps
Video by: Jonathan Boncek
Edits by: Jack McAlister
Production by: Maggie Ward
Location: Doar Bros.
In partnership with Mountain Valley Spring Water
