Sparkling Lemon Mint Mocktail is a perfect way to cool down on a hot day or evening. Using fresh fruit and mint, plus bitters to “wake up” the mocktail, makes this a refreshing beverage.
What are Bitters?
A key ingredient in this drink is bitters. At their simplest, bitters are flavor extracts. Usually made from herbs and spices, bitters to deepen or wake up flavors in a beverage. The ingredients for bitters can vary as can their proportions.
In researching bitters, I came across several bitters “experts.” The ones I was most impressed with were Brad Thomas Parsons and Mark Bitterman. Seriously. I have no idea whether the latter’s interest derives from his name or not, but he has written a book called Bitterman’s Field Guide to Bitters & Amari: 500 Bitters; 50 Amari; 123 Recipes for Cocktails, Food & Homemade Bitters. Parsons wrote the James Beard award-winning book, Bitters. I haven’t read either book, but if I get more deeply into bitters someday, they’re definitely high on my list.
For now, I simply reached up into my cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Angostura bitters, which has been living in my house for years. As the Angostura company’s website makes clear, bitters have many uses in cooking and cocktail-making. However, their use in mocktails is, I think, relatively new.
There are many types of bitters, including aromatic, citrus, and herbal-based bitters. While Angostura and Peychaud’s may be the best known brands, there are many others. Predominant bitters flavorings in other brands may vary widely from those found in Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters – and may include citrus and other fruits, chocolate, or even celery.
I liked how the Angostura bitters worked in this mocktail. Although the exact recipe is a secret, we know that Angostura bitters contain cinnamon, cloves, gentian root, and other spices and herbs. Other bitters may also work well, “waking up” the flavor in the drink. If you have another brand, try them and let us know what you think.
Are Bitters Alcoholic?
There are alcohol-free bitters to add to drinks or food. Here is a description of three that existed as of May 2022. Others, including Angostura, contain alcohol, but you use such a small quantity (typically 1/8-1/4 teaspoon per glass) that they are considered food, not alcohol. Take Angostura as an example. Although it is almost 45% alcohol by volume, if you use just a few dashes in a drink, as you would in this Sparkling Lemon Mint Mocktail, the result is less than 0.50% alcohol by volume. By contrast, an average glass of wine is about 12.00% alcohol by volume.
So if you really want to make this a truly non-alcoholic (meaning 0% alcohol) drink, then use alcohol-free bitters.
Simple Syrup
The basic point to simple syrup is to sweeten a drink and add a good “mouth feel.” In general, the ratio of sweetener to liquid can range from 1-to-1 for the sweetest simple syrup to something closer to 1-to-3 for a less sweet syrup. Unflavored simple syrup is water plus a sweetener. The limoncello recipe I previously posted (from my friends Rachel and Jay) uses unflavored simple syrup in a 3-to-4 ratio.
In this recipe, the simple syrup is made with lemon juice and zest (the latter is optional), resulting in a tart (lemony) and less sweet edge to the syrup. For specific directions, see my previous post on simple syrup.
Sparkling Lemon Mint Mocktail
This mocktail is a great way to cool down on a hot day or evening. It's simple to make and delicious. If you want a pitcher instead of a glass, just multiply the ingredients accordingly.
Ingredients
Lemon Simple Syrup
- 1/2 cup sugar or sugar substitute See note about sugar substitutes
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (optional)
- 1/4 cup water 2 oz/ 60 ml
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 2 oz/ Typically 1-2 lemons yield 1/4 cup of juice.
The Mocktail
- 1/2 cup seltzer or other sparkling water, e.g. Perrier, Pelligrino 4 oz/118 ml
- 1/2 cup chopped ice 2 oz/60 g It is more accurate to weigh ice rather than use volume (cup) measurement, but how much ice you use is personal preference so do not be too concerned about precision here.
- 2 splashes bitters (of your choice) 1/8 teaspoon /0.6ml
- 2 tablespoons lemon simple syrup (lemon, sugar or artificial sweetner and water) 1 oz/30 ml See notes for instructions on making simple syrup
- sprig fresh mint (leaves)
- 1 slice lemon (for garnish)
Instructions
Lemon Simple Syrup
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If using lemon zest and sugar, rub the sugar with the zest.
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Add the 3 ingredients (sugar, water and lemon juice) together in a small pot. Heat it to boiling, stirring occasionally until the sugar is completely dissolved.
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Cool the simple syrup down, strain it to remove the zest, and refrigerate it. This recipe makes more than you'll need for a single serving of the mocktail – it's useful for other drinks or for making more mocktail.
The Mocktail
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Mix the sparkling water, ice, bitters, and cooled simple syrup together in a glass. Stir. Slightly crush a few mint leaves (to release their flavor) and add them to the mocktail.
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Strain the crushed mint out and garnish the drink with a lemon slice and the rest of the sprig of mint.
Recipe Notes
Make the lemon simple syrup ahead of time, so it can cool down before you add it to the mocktail.
If using a sugar substitute that is liquid, I’ve seen a number of sources that suggest infusing the liquid with the zest for a few hours. That sounds right, but I personally haven’t tried it.
To crush the ice, you can use either a manual ice crusher or a high speed blender. My Vitamix did just fine. If you don’t have either piece of equipment, use chips of ice or even small, whole cubes. I like how the crushed ice works dissolves a bit as the drink sits, but that aspect of the mocktail is not crucial.
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