Artificial Flavors Free Garden Mint Citrus Cooler
Fresh citrus and garden mint come together in a sparkling drink that feels like summer in a glass. Every drop of flavor here comes from real ingredients — hand-squeezed orange and lime juice, fresh mint leaves steeped in a maple syrup base, and chilled sparkling water — so there's nothing synthetic hiding in the mix. The mint simple syrup is the secret weapon: gently bruising the leaves before steeping coaxes out that bright, herbal fragrance without any artificial shortcuts. It's the kind of drink that makes you wonder why you ever reached for a flavored powder packet or a bottled mixer. The whole thing comes together in a pitcher, making it easy to scale up for a crowd or keep in the fridge for a refreshing afternoon pour. Garnished with a lime wedge and a sprig of fresh mint, it looks as good as it tastes.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the mint simple syrup
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed, plus more for garnish
For the cooler
- 1 cup fresh orange juice (from about 3 medium oranges)
- ⅓ cup fresh lime juice (from about 3 limes)
- 3 cups sparkling water, chilled
- 2 cups ice cubes
For serving
- 4 lime wedges (optional)
- 4 small fresh mint sprigs (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the water and maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the maple syrup fully dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- 2
Add the mint leaves to the warm syrup and press them gently with a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon until fragrant and slightly bruised. Let the mint steep for 15 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher, pressing the leaves to extract as much syrup as possible. Discard the spent mint.
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