If I had to pick a favorite herb, it would have to be mint. Mint is really versatile and a great addition to savory and sweet dishes. I use mint all the time – I add it to yogurt to have with curries, I make fresh mint ice-cream with it and I also use it to garnish nearly every cake I make. This week, as the weather has been heating up, I used it to make simple mint syrup.
When we moved into our house we discovered a flourishing Moroccan mint plant growing in the garden. Moroccan mint will always remind me of a vacation we once took to Morocco. Literally from the time we landed to the moment we left the country, we were overwhelmed by the abundance of Moroccan mint tea. It seemed like everywhere we went, a man would pop up out of nowhere with a pot of mint tea and some cups. Even in the most remote places, on the sides of barren mountains, someone would emerge from the shadows with a pot of steaming tea. While I like mint tea, I find ice-cold mint syrup with soda water so much more refreshing on a hot day. I am not sure the Moroccans would agree with me 🙂
I serve my mint syrup with sparkling soda water, ice, lime and fresh raspberries. It’s the perfect drink to cool down in the summer.
Ingredients
Recipe makes about 400mls of syrup / this equals about 16 drinks. Mint syrup can be stored in the fridge.
- 4-6 sprigs of fresh mint – Moroccan mint is great for this
- 220 mls of white sugar
- 300mls of cold water
Cocktail
- Soda water
- Ice
- Fresh limes
- Raspberries
- Fresh mint
Method
- Put the sugar, water and fresh mint in a saucepan.
- Place over a medium heat, and cook until the sugar has dissolved.
- Boil for 2-3 minutes.
- Strain the syrup into a jar, and discard the mint.
- Allow to cool, then store in the fridge until needed.
- To make this drink, add a tablespoon of the mint syrup to a tall glass of soda water, along with a good squeeze of lime.
- Garnish with a few slices of fresh lime, fresh mint and some raspberries * the raspberries are also delicious when muddled together with the ice.
