Blood Orange Smash Mocktail

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 5

Total Time: 5

Servings: drink

Calories: 62kcal

Author: Jazzmine Woodard

Refreshingly bubbly blood orange juice drink with notes of mint, honey, and ginger

Print Recipe

Equipment

1 cutting board
1 knife
1 microplane
1 plate
1 rocks glass
1 jigger or shot glass
1 muddler or kitchen spoon
1 citrus juicer optional
1 bar spoon or table spoon

Ingredients

3 blood oranges
½ teaspoon sea salt
6 leaves fresh mint
½ ounce ginger honey syrup
ice
sparkling water
1 stem fresh mint optional garnish

Instructions

Cut blood oranges into halves then cut off one slice about ⅓ inch thick and set aside. Zest one of the orange halves onto plate.
3 blood oranges
Combine blood orange zest with sea salt. Run the juicy part of an orange piece around the rim of the rocks glass then dip the rim into the salt and zest mixture.
½ teaspoon sea salt
Add mint leaves and syrup to rocks glass then press with the muddler until the mint leaves are bruised and wilted.
6 leaves fresh mint, ½ ounce ginger honey syrup
Fill glass halfway with ice. Squeeze in blood orange juice then top up with sparkling water and stir gently but thoroughly in order to have a consistent tasting drink from start to finish.
ice, sparkling water
Garnish with mint stem and blood orange slice and serve cold.
1 stem fresh mint

Notes

To Make the Ginger Honey Syrup

Peel four inches fresh ginger root and slice into small pieces no more than ¼ inch thick.
Add ginger to saucepan with water and honey over medium-high heat and stir until honey is dissolved.
Bring mixture to a boil then remove from heat. Steep honey ginger syrup for at least 30 minutes, to allow flavor to infuse. Makes about 16 ounces.

Preparation

The salted blood orange zest rims adds a salty contrast to the sweetness of this drink and citrusy aroma with each sip. This step takes a couple of minutes but is so worth it!

To batch blood orange mocktails for a party or something else, add 24 mint leaves and two ounces honey syrup to a pitcher then muddle until leaves are bruised and wilted. Pour in the juice from 10 blood oranges and about eight ounces of sparkling water then fill the pitcher halfway with ice and stir until combined. Serves four.

Variations

As a shortcut, you can use ginger ale, ginger beer, or ginger kombucha instead of sparkling water. All three will add effervescence but the first two will also add sweetness sweetness, with ginger beer having a stronger ginger bite between the two. If you go this route, omit the ginger honey syrup and note that the blood orange flavor won't be as strong as it would be with carbonated water.

Nutrition