Happy Thursday Refresher Recipe

Juice and sweeten

If not using pre-juiced citrus, juice the oranges, grapefruit and lemons until you have the required amounts. Strain the juices through a fine mesh if you prefer a smoother drink. Combine 1 cup fresh orange juice, 1/2 cup grapefruit juice and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl or pitcher. Add 1/2 cup strawberry purée (blend fresh hulled strawberries until smooth) and 2 tablespoons honey or agave. Whisk vigorously until the honey is fully dissolved and the mixture is homogeneous.

Taste the base and adjust sweetness — add up to 1 additional tablespoon honey/agave if it tastes too tart. Set aside.

Infuse ginger and mint

In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger and 8 fresh mint leaves with 1 cup cold water. Muddle the mint gently with the back of a spoon or a muddler (3–4 presses) to release oils; stir to suspend the grated ginger. Let the mixture sit 3–5 minutes to infuse, then strain through a fine mesh into the citrus-berry base, pressing on solids to extract flavor. Discard solids.

Stir the combined mixture well and chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes if time allows; this helps flavors meld and makes the refresher more vibrant when served over ice.

Fill two glasses with equal amounts of ice (about 1 cup ice per glass). Divide the chilled citrus-herb mixture between the two glasses (about 1 cup each). Top each glass with 1/2 cup club soda or sparkling water, pouring gently to preserve carbonation.

Garnish each glass with two thin orange slices and one sprig of mint. Stir gently once with a straw or bar spoon to integrate the sparkling water.

Serve immediately. If preparing for a group, keep the citrus-berry-herb mixture chilled and add sparkling water just before serving to retain fizz.