Drinks Recipe

Prepare glassware and mint

Place 8 fresh mint leaves in a small bowl and gently clap them between your hands to release aroma. Chill four serving glasses in the freezer for 5 minutes if desired.

Combine juices and sweeteners

In a large pitcher, pour 2 cups fresh orange juice and 1 cup fresh lemon juice. Add 2 teaspoons honey (or maple syrup) and 4 tablespoons ginger syrup. Stir vigorously until the honey is dissolved and the ginger syrup is evenly distributed.

Adjust sweetness and taste

Taste the mixture and adjust sweetness as needed: add up to 1 additional teaspoon honey for more sweetness, or a splash more lemon for brightness. Keep in mind sparkling water will slightly dilute flavor.

Add ice and sparkling water

Add 2 cups of ice cubes to the pitcher, then gently pour in 2 cups cold sparkling water. Stir once or twice slowly to combine without flattening the carbonation.

Serve

Divide ice and liquid among the four chilled glasses. Tear and drop two mint leaves into each glass, then garnish with an orange slice and a lemon wheel on the rim. Serve immediately with a stirring straw.

Make ginger infusion

In a small saucepan combine 1 cup water and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar. Add 3 oz peeled, thinly sliced fresh ginger. Bring to a low boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Simmer and reduce

Lower heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes to extract ginger flavor. Taste after 10 minutes — simmer an additional 3–5 minutes for stronger ginger taste, watching it so it doesn't reduce too far.

Strain and finish

Remove from heat, stir in 1 teaspoon light honey if using, and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof container, pressing on ginger to extract liquid. Discard solids. Cool to room temperature before using or refrigerate up to 2 weeks.