This mandarin mocktail with mint and honey comes together in just 10-15 minutes and is a delicious celebration of winter citrus fruits! Mandarin oranges are juiced along with a grapefruit and a lemon, then combined in a glass with muddled mint and honey and topped off with sparkling water. This winter mocktail can easily be batched to serve a crowd or savored one drink at a time.
Anyone else obsessed with citrus during the winter months or is it just me?! Fresh, sunny, and zingy citrus is the perfect balm to cold and dark winter days. I love playing around with combinations and whipping up refreshing drinks to enjoy throughout the season. This easy mocktail is made with a combination of manadrin, grapefruit, and lemon juices. Since the mandarins are pretty sweet, the grapefruit and lemon lend more complexity and depth of flavor resulting in a seriously delicious juice. While the juice is great on its own, it’s paired with muddled mint and honey then topped off with sparkling water for this delicious and easy winter mocktail. I’ll show you how to make it!
Notes on Ingredients and Substitutions
Think of this winter mocktail as a celebration of citrus: mix and match varieties as needed! Swap in any mandarin variety like clementines, satsumas, or tangerines and anything more tart/bitter for the grapefruit if you prefer. I like to keep at least one lemon in the mix to balance everything and keep it from being too sweet but a lime would also be really delicious. Mint is sort of non-negotiable here because it adds a beautiful pop of cool herbal flavor that pairs perfectly with the citrus. As for the sweetener, you may decide you don’t need any! Personally, I love a drizzle of local honey but agave or simple syrup work great, too.
Mandarins are a type of orange that includes varieties like clementines, satsumas, and tangerines. Just like most citrus, their peak season is during the winter!
Mandarin Mocktail with Mint and Honey in 4 Easy Steps
Batch this Winter Mocktail for a Crowd
This mocktail is incredibly easy to batch for a crowd! Double or triple the recipe below and instead of muddling the mint and honey in each glass, do it in the bottom of a large pitcher before pouring in the citrus juices. I prefer to leave the sparkling water on the side and top off each glass but to make it easy, you can add 2-3 ounces of sparkling water for every 1/2 cup of juice to the pitcher right before serving. Garnish each glass with mint, citrus slices, and edible flowers if you like. If you’re feeling the need to prep beforehand, the juiced citrus is good for up to a week in the fridge.
More Easy Mocktails for Winter, Dry January, and Beyond
Citrus mocktails are my favorite to create, especially during the dark, cold days of winter! Whether you’re celebrating Dry January or just want a refreshing tipple without the alcohol, here are a few favorites from over the years:
- Cranberry Mocktail with Blood Orange and Ginger Beer — sweet and tart with a touch of spice!
- Lemon Mojito Mocktail — a bright and tangy twist on the classic mojito flavor profile.
- Grapefruit Rosemary Mocktail with Vanilla and Ginger Beer — winter flavors abound in this delicious zero-proof drink.
Mandarin Mocktail with Mint and Honey
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This mandarin mocktail with mint and honey comes together in just 10-15 minutes and is a delicious celebration of winter citrus fruits! Mandarin oranges are juiced along with a grapefruit and a lemon, then combined in a glass with muddled mint and honey and topped off with sparkling water. This winter mocktail can easily be batched to serve a crowd or enjoyed one drink at a time.
Ingredients
- 6–7 mandarin oranges, such as clementines or satsumas (about 1 cup juice)
- 1 grapefruit
- 1 lemon
- 1 small handful mint leaves, per drink
- 1–2 teaspoons honey, per drink
- ice
- 2–3 ounces sparkling water, per drink
- optional garnishes: mint, citrus slices, and edible flowers
Instructions
If you have a juicer, remove the peel/pith from all of the citrus and juice all of it together. If you prefer to do it by hand, cut each citrus fruit in half, then juice it with a traditional reamer style juicer. You can leave the pulp in or strain it out depending on your preference. Keep all of the citrus juices together in a bottle or small pitcher.
To make one drink, add a few mint leaves to the bottom of a glass along with 1-2 teaspoons of honey. Muddle the mint several times until it is bruised and very fragrant. Add 1/2 cup of the juice to the glass, stir well, then top with ice and 2-3 ounces of sparkling water. Add a garnish of mint, citrus slices, and edible flowers if you like, then enjoy!
Notes
- You’ll end up with about 2 cups of juice depending on how juicy your citrus is which is enough for 4 drinks. Keep the juice in the fridge and enjoy it within a week.
- If you’d like to make a big pitcher, check out the body of the post for batching instructions!
- Although I don’t have any alcohol in this recipe, please feel free to add what you like if that’s your thing. I think it would pair well with some lillet blanc, tequila, vodka, or gin.
- Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
- Category: drink
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