Sesame Free Garden Mint Citrus Cooler
Fresh citrus and garden mint come together in a sparkling drink that feels like summer in a glass. The base starts with a homemade maple mint simple syrup — warm water, pure maple syrup, and a generous handful of fresh mint leaves steeped until fragrant and deeply flavored. That syrup gets blended with freshly squeezed orange and lime juice before chilled sparkling water is poured in for a gentle, effervescent finish. The result is bright, lightly sweet, and refreshingly herbal without being overpowering. Store-bought flavored drinks and sodas can be surprisingly tricky to vet for hidden allergens, so making your own from scratch means you know exactly what's in every sip. It comes together quickly, looks stunning garnished with lime wedges and a sprig of mint, and works just as well for a casual weeknight as it does for entertaining guests.
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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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