Transform Your Iced Coffee With An Invigorating Mojito-Inspired Twist
If you're looking for a way to beat the heat, one fun idea might be to reach for a nice, cool cocktail while you enjoy the sun in the backyard or the beach. One of the most iconic and refreshing summer cocktails is the mojito, a chilled combination of rum, club soda, lime juice, and naturally cooling muddled mint leaves. However, the Cleveland Clinic notes that drinking alcohol in extreme heat and sun can be dangerous, as it contributes to dehydration, taking this seasonal cool down off the table for some people.
Thankfully, the baristas at Starbucks dipped into the mixology game this summer and released an Iced Coffee Sparkling Mojito Mocktail recipe that perfectly captures all the refreshing, effervescent components of a mojito without the disadvantages or health risks of alcohol. Instead, the beverage replaces alcohol with iced coffee for a helpful dose of caffeine to get through a sweltering summer day.
Mojito iced coffee makes for a happy hour pick-me-up
Starbucks released its Iced Coffee Sparkling Mojito Mocktail recipe as a non-alcoholic alternative to the popular drink. To make a single serving, the recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of fine sugar, a lime wedge, three sprigs of fresh mint with the stems removed, 10 ounces of club soda, and 4 ounces of ground coffee brewed and cooled. Starbucks recommends its own Spring Day Blend Coffee for this recipe, which is described as "a smooth medium roast with notes of dusted cocoa and dried fruit."
Once the coffee is made, put the sugar, a lime wedge, and two mint leaves in a tall glass and mix them with a muddler or long-handled spoon until the juice and sugar form a paste and add ice. After mixing, pour the cold coffee over the muddled ingredients and add in the club soda and stir gently to combine the ingredients. Garnish the glass with another wedge of lime and a mint leaf and voila, your morning coffee is now imbued with the delicious, refreshing goodness of a summer mojito.