It is HOT here in Houston. Our mint is growing like crazy. These two facts seem unrelated, but the other morning as I was walking down the drive (then immediately went back inside), the mint growing along the side of our house smelled so refreshing and clean and, as I was dying from thirst after spending three minutes in the humidity and heat that is summer in Houston, I thought maybe a mint infused bevy would be nice!
Water with mint leaves is great, but why stop there? I did some searching and found some great recipes for mint themed mocktails, and I’m sharing a couple of my favorites with you today.
Nothing crazy, these are easy, really refreshing, and perfect for sipping on a warm (or hot) summer day!
Not Gin & Tonic
I checked just now, and I have two posts already of G&T recipes so it comes as no surprise (to me anyway) that one of the three mocktails I’m sharing is a gin (alternative) and tonic.
I had seen zero proof spirits advertised for a while and thought of trying them out, but going in with low expecations. This Monday non-alcoholic gin was a winner! The faux tequila I tried I did not like at all. I make this gin and tonic with Fever Tree tonic, as I normally do, and then at the very end, added in a few mint leaves
I decided to try this nonalcoholic gin recently and was really quite impressed!
You’ll need:
-fever tree tonic water
-ice
-Monday zero-proof gin
-Fresh mint leaves, start with a few, add more as needed
Put some ice in a tumbler or glass of your choice, then add your non-alchoholic gin. I go with two shots, but experiment with the flavor to see what you like. Pour the tonic water in, then start with the mint leaves. Remember, you can add more but you can’t take away so go small and add more as you taste it. Make sure you give your drink a gentle stir to blend everything. Enjoy!
Virgin Grapefruit Mojito:
I’d say my favorite mocktail is the virgin grapefruit mojito. It’s so easy to make, and pretty much impossible to mess up.
You definintely do want the full two teaspoons of sugar as you muddle the lime and the mint. The sweetness of the lime cuts down a bit on the bitterness of the grapefruit, but the sugar helps, and you still get that bitterness just not as overwhelming.
You’ll need:
Grapefruit juice
2 teaspoons sugar
Bunch of mint leaves
1 lime, sliced
Crushed ice
1/2 to 1/3 bottle of topo chico.
Put the mint leaves, sugar, and sliced lime in a glass and muddle until the sugar is dissolved. Add in the ice and give it a stir. I filled up the glass to just above the midline with ice.
Now you pour in the grapefruit juice, and finally top with the topo chico. Give it another gentle stir, and you’re good to go!
Let me know if you try the drinks, and what you think! I’ll end with some photos of mint from our little herb garden 🙂
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