Has this winter felt especially long to you? I always get stir crazy this time of year, but this year has felt extra grey. I’ve had to seek out things that remind me of brighter days. I try to eat extra fruit, plan outdoor meals, window shop for cute summer clothes, pretty much anything warm weather related. Making iced cocktails and mocktails has definitely given me some inspiration. This lemon apple mint spritzer was no exception.
Cube an apple and a lemon, then add them to a medium saucepan and simmer covered for about 15 minutes. The fruit evaporate and become softened. I then used a fork to smash the fruit to get out any remaining liquid. Strain the liquid and store in a mason jar. Allow the jar to cool to room temperature then store in the refrigerator.
To really set off the recipe, I burned the ends of the mint to get a beautiful smokey flavor. Then I set the glass over the burned mint. It traps in the smoke and savors it into the drink. Rim the glass with sugar then add some ice to the glass. Pour in the chilled fruit juice and garnish with a fresh mint leaf.
The fresh fruit makes all the difference. The flavor is vibrant and rich. If you’re in a pinch you can use store bought juice. But I highly recommend using fresh fruit instead.
LEMON APPLE MINT SPRITZER
Ingredients
- 1 apple, cubed
- 1 lemon, cubed
- 1/4 cup of apple juice
- Carbonated water (I used seltzer)
- Ice cubes
- Whole mint leaf to garnish (optional)
- Granulated sugar to garnish (optional)
Directions
- Add the fruit to a medium saucepan and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
- Strain the liquid and store in a mason jar until ready to serve.
- Burn a mint leaf and cover it with a serving glass. Rim it with sugar.
- Throw in some ice cubes and pour in the apple juice and prepared lemon and apple juice.
- Top off with carbonated water.
- Garnish with a fresh mint leaf.
- Enjoy!