Iced Mint Milk Recipe

Combine and heat

Combine 1 cup water and 1 cup granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture just comes to a gentle simmer.

Infuse with mint

Once the sugar is dissolved and the syrup is simmering, remove the saucepan from heat. Add 1 packed cup of fresh mint leaves to the hot syrup, pressing them down so they are submerged. Cover the pan and let the mint steep for 20 minutes for a bright flavor or up to 40 minutes for a stronger mint note.

Finish and strain

After steeping, uncover and add 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice if using (this brightens flavor and helps preserve color). Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof container, pressing on the leaves to extract liquid. Discard solids. Let the syrup cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Yields about 1 cup syrup.

Chill glasses and milk (optional): For the coldest drink, place serving glasses in the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes. Keep milk chilled until assembly.

Sweeten the milk: In a large measuring cup or pitcher, combine 3 cups cold milk with 4 tablespoons chilled mint simple syrup. Taste and adjust: add more syrup (up to 2 additional tablespoons) if you prefer sweeter or more mint-forward flavor.

Add vanilla (optional): Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for warmth and depth if desired.

Assemble the drink: Fill four serving glasses with ice (about 1/2 cup ice per glass, total ~2 cups). Pour the sweetened milk evenly over the ice.

Garnish and finish: Top each glass with a fresh mint sprig. Lightly dust with a pinch of ground nutmeg or cocoa if desired. Serve immediately with a straw or long spoon.

Storage: Keep leftover mint simple syrup refrigerated up to 2 weeks. Prepared sweetened milk is best consumed immediately; if you must store, keep in the refrigerator up to 24 hours and stir before serving (it may separate slightly).