Virgin Orange Mojito Recipe | How to Make Virgin Orange Mojito from Scratch | Non-Alcoholic Party Drink Ideas

Virgin Orange Mojito #Recipe

Virgin Orange Mojito is a perfect non-alcoholic party drink. With orange juice, a dash of ginger juice and aerated drink, this is simple, fuss-free recipe. Just mix certain ingredients, pour and serve. This virgin orange mojito recipe can easily be made for large parties without much issue.

Both I and DH love oranges. When these fruits are in season, having fresh orange juice almost every day is a norm. But, one fine day, after we bid adieu to the Indian Nagpur Oranges, DH spotted some imported variety in the supermarket and bought a bagful home. While they looked inviting, one sip of its juice made me cringe – they turned out to be very-very sour. So, I was left with no option but to make a mocktail out of it.

We all know the classic mojito in its virgin form is made of mint, lemon, little sugar and aerated water. Often sprite and ginger ale are also used. I have seen many flavoured mojito drinks doing rounds on the internet and so, I decided to use those sour oranges in making a virgin orange mojito. I like to add a bit of ginger juice in my mojitos – it adds a depth to the overall flavour.

Oranges are out of season now. But, you can use packaged orange juice if you fancy to try this out.

Virgin Orange Mojito

Ingredients:

¼ cup fresh mint leaves

2 cups orange juice (I used freshly squeezed orange juice)

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp simple sugar syrup (sugar syrup prepared by mixing and boiling an equal quantity of sugar and water till the sugar is dissolved)

1 tsp fresh ginger juice

Sprite as needed

Ice cubes as needed

Orange slices, lemon slices and fresh mint leaves for garnishing

Process:

In a jar add fresh mint leaves, sugar syrup and muddle it with a spoon. Add lemon juice, followed by orange juice and ginger juice. Stir it nicely.

In two tall glasses, add lots of ice cubes and pour the prepared concoction equally. Top it up with chilled sprite. Garnish with orange slice, lemon slice and a mint sprig. Enjoy!

Don't forget to check out some more party drink ideas here.

Purple Delight
Sweet Lime Soda
Strawberry Lemonade 

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Herbal Iced Tea Recipe | How to Make Herbal Iced Tea from Scratch | Summer Cool Drinks Ideas

Herbal Iced Tea #Recipe

Herbal Iced Tea is a thrist-quenching summer drink. With lemongrass, ginger and mint, this herbal iced tea is full of flavours. I have used sugar to sweeten it, but you can use honey or any other sugar free sweetness as well.

I have never been an iced tea person. I do order it some times at food joints, but it has never been one of my go-to cool drinks. But, after trying this recipe I am a convert. I wouldn't mind saying that this herbal iced tea has become one of my latest favorite chilled drinks to beat the heat this summer. 

Long ago, I had tried a fruit punch recipe that used tea decoction and it turned to be a super flop. Since, then I was wary of trying any drink recipe with tea decoction in it. But, when I chanced upon a herbal iced tea recipe in one of the cookbooks I own ( did I tell you I am a hoarder of cookbooks?) I decided to give it a try.

The recipe involved making a herbal decoction first - a combination of lemongrass, ginger and mint. The recipe did interest me; but I had an even better reason to try it. Sometimes back I had planted lemongrass and mint in my terrace garden and I was delighted at the idea of using my garden produce.

The best thing about this recipe is that you can prepare the herbal decoction in bulk and freeze them in ice trays and use them when needed. You can play around with the ratio of the herbs, depending on which herb flavor you want to be prominent.

Here is how you can prepare the herbal decoction for iced tea:

1/2 cup ginger, washed, peeled and grated.

1/2 cup lemongrass leaves, washed and chopped

1/4 cup mint leaves

1" cinnamon stick

Process:

1. Add all the listed ingredients in a saucepan and add 500 ml water. Bring it to a boil and then simmer it on medium heat for 15 to 20 mins.

2. Turn off the heat and cover the saucepan. Let it cool completely before straining. Strain and set aside the herb extract.

3. You can add another cup of water to the residue and simmer it for 15 mins. The decoction prepared the second time will be milder in flavor. You can combine both the extracts thus prepared or you can store them separately. If you do not need to use the entire decoction in one go, freeze them in iced cube tray. When frozen fill them in a zip-lock bag.

Herbal Iced Tea Recipe

Makes 2 tall glasses

Ingredients:

2 teabags 

100 ml boiling water

10-12 herbal ice cubes or about 60 ml of the herbal extract

3 tbsp simple syrup ( sugar syrup prepared by mixing and boiling equal quantity of sugar and water till the sugar is dissolved)

300 ml chilled water

Ice cubes, mint leaves and lemon slices to garnish (optional)

Process:

1. Add the tea bags in boiling water and let it steep for 10 mins. Take the tea bags out and set aside the tea decoction.

2. If you are using herbal ice cubes, add them to the warm tea decoction so that they melt faster. Else add the herbal concoction equally into two glasses. Pour prepared tea decoction. Add simple sugar syrup and top with chilled water. 
3. Add ice cubes, mint leaves and lemon slices as desired. Stir and serve chilled. 

Notes:

1. Add a squirt of lemon juice for Herbal Lemon Iced Tea.
2. You can add the herbal ice cubes to your regular lemonades for added flavor.

Check out some more summer drink ideas

Sweet Lime Soda,
Ginger Mint Lemonade,
Makhanya Lassi, 
Blueberry Lemonade 
Strawberry Lemonade

Thank you for stopping by. Cheers!

Kairi Panna Recipe | How to Make Kairi Panna | Green Mango Mint Cooler | Summer Drinks

Kairi Panna #Recipe

Kairi Panna or Panha is a sweet and tangy Indian summer drink made primarily from green mangoes, mint and some spices. It is one of the most popular drinks preparation using raw mango in India. With mint as one of its main ingredients, it is said to be very cooling and soothing for the body.

Summers are already here in India and the mercury doesn't show any signs of relenting. What can come to our rescue in such times are obviously chilled homemade drinks. This summer it is time to stay away from bottled high sugar drinks and go for homemade thirst quenchers like this mango mint cooler, a.k.a Kairi Panna.