A Few Simple Additions Can Turn Iced Tea Into Refreshing Mojito Mocktails

Summer is iced tea season, and if you're trying to upgrade yours for the warmer months, you can try everything from adding citrus peels to freezing your drink. But did you know you can also make mocktails out of iced tea? One of the tastiest summer cocktails out there is a mojito, and while drinking one conjures up images of sitting in a lounge chair on the sand, sometimes we just want a refreshing beverage without all the sugar and booze. That's where an iced tea mocktail comes in.

Beyond the alcohol, a typical mojito is made with mint simple syrup, lime juice, and club soda, so to replicate the flavors with iced tea, you're going to want a fizzy, minty, limey drink. To get one, start by making green iced tea — the color of which will remind you of the minty flavors in a mojito — then add some soda water, a little lime juice, and some mint leaves on top. For a little extra flair, you could even add a wedge or twist of lime peel for garnish. You'll still get all the flavors you love in a refreshing drink, minus the sweetness and alcohol but with a little added caffeine and antioxidants.

If you don't mind the sweetness of a mojito and want it in your mocktail, you can go with tonic water, which is sweeter than club soda, or add back in the mint syrup to go along with your garnish. Alternatively, if you'd prefer to represent mint by muddling some in, you could turn to the tropical coconut syrup for an additional twist on the classic recipe. 

And though green tea gives the drink a nice mint-colored glow, feel free to substitute another iced tea of your preference. A minty one like peppermint or spearmint would pair perfectly with a mojito, while a fruity tea like raspberry, strawberry, pomegranate, blueberry, mango or pineapple would nicely mimic a flavored version of the cocktail. But a flavored tea isn't your only option — if you want to create an even fruitier tea mojito mocktail, try mixing a little store-bought fruit pulp or purée — though you'll likely want to strain it first. It takes a few extra steps, but your iced tea will turn into a spruced-up mocktail that's ready for the beach.