Vegetarian Garden Mint Citrus Cooler
Fresh-squeezed orange and lime juice meet a fragrant homemade mint syrup in this sparkling cooler that tastes like summer in a glass. The mint simple syrup is the real star here — steeping bruised fresh leaves in warm maple syrup coaxes out every bit of herbal sweetness before it ever hits the pitcher. Using maple syrup instead of refined white sugar gives the whole drink a subtle depth that store-bought mixers just can't replicate. When the citrus juice and chilled sparkling water come together, you get something bright, bubbly, and genuinely refreshing without any artificial flavors or colors to worry about. It's the kind of drink that looks impressive enough for a dinner party but comes together with nothing more than a saucepan, a strainer, and a pitcher. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and a lime wedge and it's practically begging to be photographed.
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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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