Found a fantastic ginger-rhubarb syrup yesterday. With soda water, this makes for a fantastic pre-dinner drink, or a cooler for long hot summer afternoons.
I’m in heaven. Both my local Woolworths, and the fancy natural health store at Crows Nest are now stocking some awesome fruit syrups from New Zealand. This is a whole new ball game. We’ve gone light years past the unnatural green, red and orange sugar cordials of our youth, to combinations made from real fruit, that can save you hours of preparation.
Combined with my Soda Stream to always have fizzy water, this is a fantastic pre-dinner drink. It could be the alternative to gin and tonic I was looking for.
Both my local Woolworths, and the fancy natural health store at Crows Nest are now stocking some awesome fruit syrups from New Zealand. This is a whole new ball game. We’ve gone light years past the unnatural green, red and orange sugar cordials of our youth, to combinations made from real fruit, that can save you hours of preparation.
Combined with my Soda Stream to always have fizzy water, this is a fantastic pre-dinner drink. It could be the alternative to gin and tonic I was looking for.
Ingredients
Ginger-rhubarb syrup
Still or sparkling water
Garnish – rhubarb stick, mint or strawberries
Instructions
Pour syrup into base of glass – either a tumbler or tall glass
Lots of lovely tart lime, with cranberry juice and grenadine for extra colour and flavour. This disappears quickly!
This really works. A solid 30ml of lime juice neatly balances the cranberry juice, and when the fizz is added, becomes something special. Very easy to guzzle down, it’s hard to resist. Definitely recommended.
The combination of cranberry juice and grenadine also makes for a strong colour. Bring out the colour further with some berries on a cocktail stick too.
Scale
Ingredients
1/2 cup cranberry juice
30ml lime juice
30ml grenadine
Top with soda water
Instructions
Half fill a tall glass with crushed ice
Add cranberry juice, lime juice and grenadine and stir
There seem to be two main variations on mint julep mocktails: the basic one, focusing on the mint, with a little lemon and sugar; and one that tries to be closer to the adult cocktail, using ginger ale and lemon to mimic the bourbon of the original adult drink. This is the basic one.
There are two versions here: a lazy way for a single serve, and the proper way, making a jug full for friends.
Scale
Ingredients
Juice of half a lemon
1–2 teaspoons of sugar (to taste)
5–6 mint leaves
soda water
Instructions
Muddle the lemon juice, sugar and mint leaves at the bottom of your glass.
Add lots of ice cubes.
Fill glass to the top with soda water.
Stir well, then garnish with extra mint leaves.
Notes
As with the lime rickey, it’s important to stir the drink after adding the soda water, to ensure the flavour goes all through the drink. This is a good opportunity to taste whether you have enough sugar.
Keywords: mint julep
Or a jug for friends
Ingredients
1 cup caster sugar 1/4 cup roughly chopped mint leaves 1 cup water 750ml soda water Ice cubes Additional mint leaves to garnish
Instructions
Combine sugar, mint leaves and water in a small saucepan.
Includes my perennial favourite raspberry cranberry juice – always in my fridge, with berries, lime and mint.
Scale
Ingredients
1.5 litres raspberry cranberry juice
750ml soda water
60ml cup lime juice
1 punnet raspberries
1 punnet blueberries or strawberries
1 cup mint leaves
1 lime, thinly sliced
crushed ice
Instructions
Mix cranberry juice, soda water, lime juice, berries, mint leaves and lime slices together in punchbowl or jug.
Half fill glass with crushed ice.
Fill glass with punch and stir
Keywords: berry mint punch, raspberry cranberry juice, mint
The best thing about this drink is that it’s a punch.
That means lots of lovely fruit at the bottom when you’ve finished. As you get close to the end, the flavour gets more intense – particularly the lime and the raspberries. And rather than let them go to waste, keep a long skewer handy so you can spear the berries.
Again, you can make a cut down version for 1:
1 lime
Handful of berries and mint leaves
About 125ml raspberry cranberry juice
About 125ml soda water
Ice cubes
I used frozen raspberries and some blueberries and strawberries that really needed using up.
Mint leaves are growing nicely in my garden – the possum has been ignoring them lately.
And I cut a slice of lime for decoration, then juiced the rest.
Stir and serve. Another great recipe that didn’t need any special preparation.
Mistress of Mocktails is all about having fun with non-alcoholic cocktails. Whether you're trying to quit alcohol, don't like the taste, trying to be healthier, or just feel like something fancy - hopefully there's a recipe for you :)
