Orange Ginger Sparkler

I love making drinks with fresh fruits! The idea of simmering fresh fruit juice with sugar/ honey to form a simple syrup that can be mixed with fizzy water is so much fun!! On a sunny afternoon while craving for a thirst quenching drink to go along our weekend lunch I made these drinks and it has become a hit with hubby dearest.

So this is just a simple recipe and doesn’t take a lot of time to take. All you need is fresh orange juice, ginger, soda and some basil leaves. I have made orange juice at home removing all the pulp as I wanted a clear juice.  Even with the pulp strained out, there’s a smoothness to the orange juice that makes this drink quite pleasant to sip.

What really takes the drink to the next level is the infusion of basil/Tulsi leaves and ginger. After the initial sweetness of the soda, traces of these herbs and spices linger on the tongue and throat I think it would make a lovely, non-alcoholic option for a cocktail party.

Tulsi leaves have a lot of medicinal properties and apart from the pungent smell it has also got a very sharp taste that balanced the tartness in the orange juice in this drink very well.

Technically, these could be called just plain Orange sodas…but Orange Ginger Sparkler sounds so much better right.  The soda effect is super easy to achieve, and the swig of basil leaves is the perfect compliment.  So basically what I am saying is this is an amaaaaaaaaaaaazing drink and you all have to try. Ok.

Here are the Ingredients-

Orange juice
Few Tulsi Leaves (Basil)
3 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
Sugar- 3 tbsp
Salt- pinch
Club soda- 1/2 bottle
Ice cubes- to serve
Orange wedges- to garnish

Method:-

Combine water, sugar, tulsi leaves and ginger in a saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugars.

Remove from heat and strain the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the solids. Let syrup cool completely.

To serve, fill glass halfway with crushed ice and add 3 tablespoons of syrup, orange juice and fill with soda water, and stir. Add more syrup for a sweeter or stronger flavor and adjust the juice and soda accordingly. Garnish with some ginger, basil and an orange wedge.

Voila! Fancy looking mocktail ready at home with in few minutes.