When thinking of fun summer recipes to make for this month, I knew that I wanted to make something to highlight the tropical summery passion fruit since it’s a very distinct and delicious fruit that is very aromatic and if you’ve never tried it before, it has a sweet, slightly sour taste that has a bit of tang that is similar to citrus fruits and pineapple.
Mostly available year round, but most ripe during the summer months, passion fruit are quite a refreshing fruit to enjoy during a hot summer day. Though, with them being quite expensive and harder to find unless you live in more tropical regions of the world, this fruit is hard to extract enough juice from to make a drink that is cost effective.
But, thankfully, by using prepackaged passion fruit juice or pulp and mixing in other more cost-effective ingredients such as orange juice, limes, and vanilla, this recipe allows you to enjoy the flavors of the tropical passion fruit without breaking the bank. In fact, these other ingredients don’t just serve to mimic the passion fruit flavors, but actually help to emphasize and draw out more complexity in the drink, making it taste like summer distilled into a nice cool glass.
The orange juice and lime help to draw out the passion fruit’s tropical notes without overpowering it, the vanilla simple syrup enhances the floral undertones of the passion fruit and helps to give the entire drink a luxurious, smooth finish, and the muddled mint and ginger both serve as a nice contrast to the sweet-tartness of the rest of the drink, making each sip anew by refreshing the palate with a herbal, spiced aftertaste. And of course, the sparkling water helps to dilute the intense sweetness of the drink a bit while not losing any flavor and also adds a nice effervescence that elevates this drink even more. But, when you make your version of this drink, you are certainly welcome to adjust the amounts of each ingredient to suit your flavor preferences as well as your budget.
But regardless of if you use fresh fruit picked straight from your garden or you get your passion fruit from miles away, this refreshing ice-cold tropical fruit drink will be a great way to enjoy the hot summer months whether you’re grilling up some delicious barbecue or lazily lounging by the poolside, or both!
Ingredients:
- 8 passion fruits (~1 cup passion fruit juice/puree)
- 4 oranges (~1 cup orange juice)
- 1-2 tbsp vanilla simple syrup (for optional added sweetness)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 Vanilla bean -or- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1-2 limes
- 1/2 cup mint leaves
- 2 tbsp (3 inches) ginger (for optional spice)
- 1 cup sparkling water or sparkling wine (if you wish to make it alcoholic)
- Some ice cubes (if desired)
Step 1: Prepare Vanilla Simple Syrup
First, we’ll prepare our vanilla simple syrup, so in a small sauce pan, add in your water and sugar (and if you are using a whole vanilla bean, split it open, scrape the seeds into the pan and add in the empty vanilla bean pod as well.
Then, whisk together the water and sugar over medium-high heat. Bring this to a simmer, stirring occasionally until sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid becomes clear.
Then, remove this from the heat and if you’re using vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, stir this in now.
Then, allow this to cool a bit before pouring it into a clean mason jar and store this in the fridge, for up to a month, while we prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Step 2: Prepare Ingredients by Juicing Fruits & Slicing Limes & Ginger
For the orange juice, if using fresh oranges, cut a few rings for garnish if desired and juice these using a juicer or your hands.
For the passion fruit, cut these in half, scoop the pulp into a strainer, and then press these to extract the juice. If you wish, you may save the seeds for additional crunchy garnish as well.
Then, for your limes, slice these into 1/2 inch wedges, setting aside some for garnishing also if you wish.
And for your ginger, peel these with a spoon and slice these into pieces, also setting some pieces aside for garnish if desired, as well.
Step 3: Muddle Mint Leaves, Lime Wedges, & Ginger in Pitcher, Add in Juices & Simple Syrup, Then Mix in Sparkling Water, Pour in Ice-Filled Glass, & Enjoy!
Once all of your ingredients are ready, in a large glass or pitcher, add in your mint leaves, lime wedges, and ginger and gently muddle these to release the aromas and flavors.
Then, add in the passion fruit juice, orange juice, and vanilla simple syrup and stir this gently. Let the flavors meld together and right before you serve your drink add in your sparkling water or wine and other alcohol, if using, and stir this lightly to keep as much of the fizz as possible.
Adjust the taste to your liking, before pouring your drink over ice-filled glasses, garnishing with the leftover lime pieces, mint sprigs, passion fruit seeds, orange slices, and/or ginger pieces, and with that, your Passion Fruit Summer Spritz is ready to drink.