Summer Spritzer Mocktail

I’m not a drinker but I love a good mocktail. This concoction was born from summer herbs growing in my garden. Sweet and savory Pineapple Sage and uplifting mint. I’m also not an ice lover, so I created special ice cubes that will add to the drink rather than water it down if you’re a sipper like me! This does require a bit of planning ahead to prepare the syrups but it’s worth it! There are lots of variations you can create with the same ingredients!

Pineapple Sage Simple Syrup

1/2 cup cane sugar

1/2 cup water

24 pineapple sage leaves freshly harvested and gently rinsed

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and warm while stirring until sugar dissolves. It should be hot but not boiling. Once the sugar is completely dissolved cover the mixture, remove from the heat and let it steep like a tea for 30 min. Strain into a mason jar and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Lemon Mint Simple Syrup

1/4 - 1/3 cup cane sugar

Juice from 1-2 lemons

hearty bunch of mint leaves freshly harvested, rinsed and torn

In a small jam jar or mason jar add a layer of sugar at the bottom (1/4” thick) add a layer of chopped mint leaves and another layer of sugar until the jar is full or you run out of mint leaves. Last layer should be sugar, be sure all the leaves are submerged. Add lemon juice, drizzling until you see it seeping all the way to the bottom of the jar. Cap and refrigerate for 24-48 hrs. The sugar should be dissolved at which point you can strain out the leaves and retain the flavored syrup for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

Specialty Ice cubes

Freeze unsweetened coconut water in ice cube trays

Blend your choice of fruit into a smoothie consistency and freeze in ice cube trays, I like to use frozen strawberries, blueberries and lemon juice

Crafting your Mocktail

Ingredients:

Plain Seltzer

Simple Syrups

Specialty Ice Cubes

Mint leaves, pineapple sage leaves and or lime wedges

In a 10-12 oz glass add 4-5 ice cubes of your choice, or a mix of both. Drizzle 1-2 Tablespoons of simple syrup of your choice or a mix of both (you cannot go wrong with this, all the flavors work together no matter how you craft it!) You can sweeten it up by adding more syrup or less sweet with more seltzer. Fill the remaining space with seltzer and top with fresh herb leaves or a lime wedge and serve!