Citric Acid Free Garden Mint Citrus Cooler
Fresh-squeezed orange and lime juice do all the heavy lifting here, delivering that bright, citrusy punch without any processed additives or preservatives hiding in the mix. Many store-bought lemonades and fruit drinks sneak in manufactured citric acid as a preservative or flavor enhancer, so making your own cooler from scratch is the cleanest way to enjoy a refreshing glass without second-guessing the label. The mint simple syrup is made by steeping fresh leaves in warm maple syrup, which gives the drink a subtle herbal sweetness that feels a little fancy without any extra effort. Everything comes together in a single pitcher, and the chilled sparkling water gets stirred in at the end so you keep every last bubble. It's the kind of drink that looks gorgeous on a table — especially with a sprig of mint and a lime wedge tucked over the rim — but takes almost no time to pull off. Whether you're hosting a crowd or just treating yourself on a warm afternoon, this cooler is cool, crisp, and completely made from ingredients you can trust.
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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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