Mushroom Free Garden Mint Citrus Cooler
Bright, citrusy, and refreshingly herbal, this sparkling cooler is the kind of drink that makes any afternoon feel like a special occasion. Fresh-squeezed orange and lime juice give it a vibrant, sun-ripened flavor that bottled juice simply can't match. The real star is the homemade mint simple syrup — steeping bruised mint leaves in warm maple syrup coaxes out every bit of that cool, fragrant depth before it ever hits the glass. Because everything here is built from whole, straightforward ingredients, there's zero guesswork about what's actually in your drink. It comes together in well under an hour, and the syrup can be made ahead so you're just pouring and garnishing when guests arrive. Finished with a gentle pour of chilled sparkling water to keep the bubbles lively, it's elegant enough for a dinner party but easy enough for a lazy Sunday on the porch.
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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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