Seasons 52 Ginger Mint Agave Soda (copycat)

Perhaps I shouldn’t admit to loving a soda served by a chain restaurant, but it’s true. I took my mom to Seasons 52 for lunch on Memorial Day and the ginger mint agave soda I ordered has been on my mind ever since. Light but flavorful, tangy but not overly so, and tasting mostly of ginger with a touch of mint, the soda was a true palate pleaser.

My love for ginger is no secret. Whether sweet (e.g. crystallized ginger, lemon ginger ricotta cheesecake tartlets, and ginger ice cream) or savory (especially in stir-fries featuring ginger, from Burmese chili chicken to stir-fried ginger beef), I’m a fan. I even have a Pinterest board featuring ginger.

But I hadn’t thought about making my own gingery soda until this recent lunch. Of course, I came home and googled it, thinking I would find a copycat version online. But I didn’t. When I checked the restaurant’s version I found out only what I already knew – that it has 90 calories per serving. I checked a few recipes online for hints on how to begin, but didn’t find them particularly helpful. Most, like this ginger beer concentrate, looked fine but required lots of time and effort. 

So I winged it – with fresh ginger, 90 calories worth of agave syrup, a few sprigs of mint and a bottle of soda water. (Agave, a sweetener made from the agave plant, is sweeter than both honey and sugar and thinner in consistency than honey.) The result  – this ginger mint agave soda – is simple to make, tangy enough for a ginger lover like me, and quite refreshing. 

Pretty it up with a sprig of mint and a few strips of fresh ginger (or maybe a slice of the candied stuff) and the result is a lovely, non-alcoholic “mocktail.” I made it in a single serving, but it’s easy to make more for a crowd, and you could serve it like sangria, with mint leaves and maybe a few slices of fruit floating in the pitcher. 

Print Recipe

Seasons 52 Ginger Mint and Agave Soda (copycat) Yum

A fabulous hot weather non-alcoholic beverage.

Course

beverages

Cuisine

American

Servings

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger from about a 1-inch square piece
• 0.5 cups water 4 ounces
• 1.5 tablespoons agave nectar
• Ice cubes
• 0.75 cups seltzer or sparkling water 6 ounces
• extra ginger and mint for garnish

Course beverages Cuisine American Servings Ingredients 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger from about a 1-inch square piece 0.5 cups water 4 ounces 1.5 tablespoons agave nectar Ice cubes 0.75 cups seltzer or sparkling water 6 ounces extra ginger and mint for garnish

Instructions

1. Cut, peel and grate a piece of fresh ginger. (Here's how to peel ginger the easy way.)
2. Put the grated ginger in a saucepan or pot with a few mint leaves that you have "muddled" by mashing or pressing them to release the minty aroma.
3. Add the water and agave and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Strain the liquid into a heatproof cup and let it cool to room temperature, either on the counter or in the refrigerator. In the latter case it should be cool enough in about 10-15 minutes.
5. During the simmering, the liquid reduces by about a half, so you will have 2 ounces left. Pour it into a glass, add a few ice cubes and 6 ounces of soda, garnish as you please and enjoy!

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