My mint plant is growing like gangbusters in my backyard. If you know me, you know that it is growing despite me, not because of me. I planted a tiny starter mint in this pot and plopped it on my back patio. I watered it daily while it was getting established. It gets some residual spray from the sprinklers and even some rain water when the wind blows. Now, I just water the pot when it looks like it is starting to wilt. I have way more mint now than I really know what to do with. 

My first thought with the mint was…. Mojitos! I love a great mojito and I have the tools to make them at home. Grab my favorite muddler here. So, I got some rum and limes and I was in business. There are many, many recipes for mojitos, so I’ll share my favorite one here. 

Homemade Mojitos

Ingredients

• 6-8 mint leaves
• Juice from one lime plus slices for garnish
• Splash of simple syrup
• 2 ounces rum (omit to make a mocktail)
• Lemon lime soda or sparkling water

My favorite is to do about half soda and half lime sparkling water. That way I get a touch of sweetness without too much added sugar. 

Depending on the day, I’ll add some fresh mango to my cocktail shaker before I muddle the mint. Delicious! Another fun option is to add in about ¼ cup of pineapple juice before adding the sparkling water and you will have a pineapple mojito.  So many amazing options!! 

I have discovered that this works well as a mocktail as well. I can get the refreshing taste without the alcohol. Hello day drinking on a hot summer day without the repercussions! 

**Special note if you are not accustomed to cocktail shakers: Do not be tempted to put the carbonated water in the shaker. It only sounds like a good idea until you realize you are basically shaking up a can of soda. You can thank me later! (Unless of course you want to deep clean your kitchen including the ceiling. You do you!)

So, this got me thinking about what else I could make as a mocktail that would taste just as delicious. This time of year lends itself to plentiful fresh fruit and herbs. Capitalizing on all that freshness, is the way to build any recipe. 

Here’s a few recipes I found that sounded great on the interwebs… 

Blueberry Mint Mocktail, Grapefruit Rosemary Mocktail, Mimosa Mocktail

Raspberry Spritzer Mocktail

Citrus Strawberry Mocktail

Which of these recipes sounds like a winner to you? Share in the comments below.