Sparkling Mint Limeade! Beat the heat with this easy-to-make, deliciously refreshing, non-alcoholic drink made with tangy lime juice & mint. Like a mojito mocktail!
It's already really hot outside. Like, sweating in funny places from a stroll to the mailbox kind of hot.
Why, Florida, why? Just when I have solidified an outdoor exercise routine.
I've been walking about 5 days a week and it's been a nice change of pace to being a hermit spending the majority of my waking hours indoors these past few months. {The months where the weather was perfect. Go figure.} Yes, there is unnecessary sweat -- I mean, it's walking for heaven's sake, not an Ironman competition -- but it's been worth it for a few reasons.
Cole and I stroll about 3 miles most days, giving me a break from trying to entertain my sweet child indoors. A few times a week, I have a {grown up} walking buddy who walks 6 miles with me. During that time we basically have therapy sessions and figure out how to right the world's wrongs. It's therapeutic and terribly efficient if you ask me. {Plus, way cheaper than real therapy.}
Any exercise where I don't really think about the fact that I'm actually exercising is my favorite kind. Because you still burn calories, but you also get to have fun. And if you're constantly running your mouth like I am, you probably burn double.
Speaking of calorie burning, I've got you where I want you last 5 pounds of baby weight! While I'm not all that bothered by the extra pudge, I'm fairly certain that my collection of JCrew and Lilly Pulitzer shorts total to a few hundred dollars worth, and I'm not okay with letting them go to waste. Clearly, my priorities are in order.
But I digress. Hot weather = cool drinks. That's where I was going with all of this.
When I had some girlfriends over for lunch a few weeks ago, I threw together this Sparkling Mint Limeade just because I had mint and limes, not really expecting for it to be all that great. But I actually really enjoyed it.
Sweet, tart, bubbly and refreshing. Reminds me of a mojito, only I can sip it during the day without concerned glances. {After 5pm, I'm sure a little splash of your favorite spirit wouldn't do any harm to the flavor. Wink, wink.}
Bring on the heat.
*Note: Any time I make these types of beverages, I estimate the amounts or add ingredients to taste. This is an approximation, so alter to suit your taste buds!
Sparkling Mint Limeade
Equipment
- 1 small saucepan
- 1 pitcher
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup water
- 3 mint sprigs
- 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1½ cups water
- lime flavored sparkling water
Instructions
Make Mint Simple Syrup
- Stir together sugar and water and bring to a boil in a small saucepan. Boil for about a minute, then remove from heat and toss in mint sprigs.
- Let mint steep for about 10-15 minutes to develop mint flavor. Press on mint leaves to extract the last of the flavor, and discard.
Make Limeade
- In a pitcher, stir together lime juice, lemon juice and cooled mint syrup. Add about 1 ½ cups of water to dilute. (Or to taste, depending on whether you like it more tart or more sweet.)
- To serve, pour limeade into a glass filled with ice, then top with lime sparkling water. Garnish with a lime wheel and mint if desired.
Karis says
Love the sound of this recipe. It's similar to a raspberry lemonade recipe I've been making constantly lately. Drinking plain water during pregnancy gets so boring! Oh and I can definitely relate to feeling hot. I was so happy the maternity shorts I ordered arrived this week. It's going to be a long hot, Miami summer (I'm due in August).
thekitchenprep says
@Karis - Yes! I became obsessed with homemade lemonades and "mocktails" while I was pregnant. If you need some good recipes, there are a few up in old posts! I can completely related to the joy of maternity shorts -- Cole arrived in November so I definitely had some hot summer months to endure while toting the belly! I am so excited for you and am sending easy pregnancy thoughts your way as you grow those sweet babies. 🙂
[email protected] says
Nice drink, it is always hot here, guess I can have this really often. Mint flavor is good, but I am thinking can I have other flavor. Maybe cherry. 🙂