A SUMMERTIME MOCKTAIL THAT WILL BE ON ROTATION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SEASON!
I love a weekday pick-me-up + a delicious mocktail that requires only a handful of ingredients usually does the trick. Every time.
Life lately has been all about romanticizing the little things and wow...a pretty drink in an equally pretty glass after a Monday that has been Monday-ing to the fullest is just pure bliss.
If you can relate and this sounds like you, this is just the mocktail recipe for ya! This drink is IDEAL for summertime - it's delightfully refreshing! This mocktail combines Moroccan mint tea with the delicate floral notes of lavender - making this one a winner for easy summer evenings.
And on that note about hosting...on the hottest of summer evenings, I love to serve up beverages that utilize mint as the main character. This not only uses mint tea but also calls for fresh muddled mint. Beverages like this one usually pair beautifully around the menu I'm serving. I love to serve this with light bites including mint chutney + cheese finger sandwiches and/or a charcuterie board adorned with an assortment of my favorite < $5 cheeses from Whole Foods and lots of fresh seasonal fruit.
I love mocktails that not only taste delicious but also offer a wonderful sensory experience. Using culinary-grade lavender on the rim takes this to the next level and I just love the way the fresh mint pairs with the floral notes of lavender.
With just a few ingredients and minimal prep required, you can whip up this one in no time. While that makes this recipe perfect for last-minute gatherings, I highly recommend making this when you want to treat yourself to something special with little fuss. Sophistication in a glass. And on the topic of glasses, this beautiful glass is from Mamo NYC - one of my favorite places to shop for glassware. Stunning as ever.
They were kind enough to offer a code for y'all - TashaMamo10. If you purchase anything from the shop, be sure to let me know! :)
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INGREDIENTS
3 oz Moroccan mint tea, iced (I used Just Ice Tea)
1 tablespoon tightly packed fresh mint leaves
1/2 oz lavender syrup (or less or more to taste)
2 oz seltzer (or more to taste)
Fresh mint sprig, optional for garnish
Honey and culinary-grade lavender, optional for garnish
DIRECTIONS
If you'd like to garnish your glass with lavender, simply brush on some honey to the rim of your glass and gently press culinary-grade lavender onto a single side of a chilled coupe glass. I recommend only doing this to 1/3 of the glass so that it is not overpowering. I also recommend using a glass that has a stem so you don't get lavender on your fingers as you sip. Place the lavender-adorned glass back in the freezer as you assemble the rest of the mocktail to ensure it sticks.
To a small mason jar or cocktail shaker, add your mint leaves and lavender syrup. Muddle gently and then add in your iced mint tea.
Shake for 10-15 seconds and then pour into the chilled coupe glass over a large ice cube.
Top with your desired amount of seltzer, leaving some room at the top of the glass.
Last but not least, place a fresh sprig of mint on top of the ice cube.
~ Serves 1
Notes
I highly recommend chilling your glass in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before serving this beverage. I know. the name implies it, but this beverage is best-served cold. The colder it is, the better it tastes. On that note, I also recommend starting with all chilled beverages (that includes the mint iced tea and seltzer.
You can most definitely serve this for a crowd and that too in a pitcher. Just combine everything other than the seltzer and top when you are ready to serve.
I purchased culinary-grade lavender at a local shop in San Diego, but you can find it widely available online at various retailers!
I used Just Ice Tea's Moroccan Mint Iced Tea (linked above) for this recipe and I love it as it is already chilled and just sweet enough. I am all about easy entertaining. Smart shortcuts are necessary and key in my opinion to top-tier hosting so picking this iced tea up at the store is a no-brainer! That said, you can most definitely brew your own Moroccan mint tea but be sure to chill it in advance. Iced tea is key here. If you are brewing your own tea for this recipe - feel free to sweeten it with your sweetener of choice. Monkfruit/cane sugar/agave work well but I love honey as my choice of sweetener with mint tea. For 1 cup of Moroccan tea, I'd recommend starting with adding 1/4 teaspoon and going from there as the lavender syrup is also sweet. I found that it works best to add the honey in while the tea is still cooling and warm vs. adding it in once it is cold. You can also omit adding additional sweeteners for this reason but just know that the final product might need to be adjusted to taste as needed.
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