Easy Sonic Ocean Water (Copycat Recipe!) 

Make your own Sonic Ocean Water at home with just a handful of ingredients! This easy summer drink is refreshing, vibrant, and made with a splash of tropical coconut flavour, maraschino cherries and lemon-lime soda.

If you love this fun drink, you have to try my Sonic copycat Cherry Limeade recipe next! 

There’s something about that bright blue Sonic Ocean Water that just feels like a summer road trip. Windows down, music up, and a cold drink in hand. After some experimenting, I nailed the copycat version at home that brings me back to some of my favourite late night drives or family vacation moments, and honestly? It might be even better. Easy to bring to a kid’s birthday potluck or even to spike it for your next adult get-together. Let’s get into it.

Why I prefer to make ocean water at home

Aside from the time and effort it takes out of your day to wait in the drive thru line and order – here’s a handful of reasons (if you needed any more) to make it from the comfort of your own kitchen.

• It’s easier to make than you might have guessed. I wrongly assumed that companies put a lot more thought and time into creating a drink that’s unique and difficult to recreate. But each time I tackle a copycat recipe, it always turns out to be easier than I expected! 
• Ready in less than 5 minutes. For real… all I needed to do was stir a few simple ingredients together and this drink was ready to enjoy! Once you have all of the ingredients at home, you can whip up this drink in a flash too.
• Vegan friendly. It turns out, not every drive-thru drink is vegan-friendly!

The ingredients this recipe can’t do without

• Lemon lime soda: Sonic Drive-In does not disclose the specific lemon lime soda they sell, but there are several you can buy in stores to replicate the flavour. When I was testing this recipe, I found that either 7UP or Sierra Mist are the best, but Sprite or Mountain Dew are also good choices. 
• Coconut extract – The coconut flavour is what makes this soda “tropical” tasting. A little goes a long way, so start with less and add more as desired.
• Blue food colouring – The key to the bright blue colour. Adjust the amount of food colouring based on how vibrantly coloured you want your drink! I used a spirulina based blue food colouring.

Make it for a crowd

If you plan to make this Sonic Ocean Water for a larger crowd, grab your favourite large pitcher or punch bowl and simply multiply the recipe by the amount of guests you are serving.

If you’re sharing with kids, you can likely split 1 serving between 2 kids. Feel free to adjust to suit your particular group. 

Want to spike it? Here’s how I turned this into a grown-up drink

The original Sonic Ocean Water is totally alcohol-free. But during one of my test batches, I tried adding a splash of rum for research. That’s how I found out this recipe doubles very well as a party drink, unsurprisingly. A little white or coconut rum instantly turns it into the kind of cocktail that tastes like vacation in a cup.

What I learned while perfecting this drink

After several rounds of testing (and more than a few sticky countertops), I picked up a couple of small details that make a big difference. All optional of course, but I came up with these tips just to make your experience even more enjoyable!

Use crushed or nugget ice, not big cubes.
If you want that true Sonic experience, the ice matters more than you’d think. I grab a bag of crushed/nugget ice from the store for that crunchy icy goodness.

Skip the blue food coloring (if you want).
The electric blue colour is fun, sure. But it doesn’t impact the flavour at all. I tested it both ways, and honestly, the tropical taste holds up with or without it.

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