Magnolia Mocktail Spritz

a tangy, vibrant, and floral drink that feels like sunshine.

there is this magnolia tree on our street; i never noticed it before before rescuing our dog Frankie. it’s her first spring, the tree is blooming, and she just loves smelling it. so, i harvested a few leaves, took them home, washed them and made grapefruit, thyme & magnolia simple syrup.

i poured it into my almost finished jar of salt i brought from Lile Bakery in Copenhagen and let it sit in the fridge for a few days. in that time, i was gifted lemons from a friend’s tree and this magnolia mocktail spritz was born. it’s vibrant and tangy and floral. the perfect spring drink.

Magnolia Mocktail Spritz

ingredients:

for the simple syrup:

• 6 magnolia leaves (washed in ice water)

• zest of 1 grapefruit

• juice of 1 grapefruit

• 3 sprigs fresh thyme

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 3/4 cup water

• 1 large pinch salt (or use an old salt jar if you have one)

for the spritz:

• 1–1.5 oz fresh lemon juice

• 2 oz salted grapefruit, magnolia & thyme syrup

• tonic water or sparkling water, to top

• ice

• 1–3 extra magnolia leaves for garnish (optional)

method:

1. in a small saucepan, combine 6 magnolia leaves, grapefruit zest and juice, thyme, honey, sugar, and water. bring to a gentle simmer over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

2. remove from heat and stir in a big pinch of salt (or pour into a clean old salt jar for extra saltyyy).

3. add 3 more magnolia leaves into the syrup. seal the jar or container and let it infuse in the fridge for 3–7 days.

4. when ready to use, strain out and discard the magnolia leaves.

5. fill a glass with ice. add lemon juice and syrup. top with tonic or sparkling water. stir gently.

6. garnish with a fresh magnolia leaf if you have access to the tree!