Spicy Raspberry Mint Sodas

Name: Spicy Raspberry Mint Sodas
Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups demerara sugar [raw sugar]; 1-1/2 cups water; 1 pint raspberries; 1 dried chipotle pepper, seeds removed; 1 stick cinnamon; 1 bunch fresh mint; 1 liter club soda; crushed ice; 1 cup orange, lemon or pepper-flavored vodka [optional]; thin orange slices for garnish

10 ingredients

2 steps

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups demerara sugar [raw sugar]
1-1/2 cups water
1 pint raspberries
1 dried chipotle pepper, seeds removed
1 stick cinnamon
1 bunch fresh mint
1 liter club soda
crushed ice
1 cup orange, lemon or pepper-flavored vodka [optional]
thin orange slices for garnish

Directions

1

Place sugar and water in a 3-quart saucepan and place over medium high heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium. Add raspberries, chipotle pepper, and cinnamon stick; simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Strain syrup, pressing on solids to extract syrup; discard solids. Store syrup in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator for up 1 week.
2

To make sodas, add 1/4 cup of spicy raspberry syrup to glass along with a few mint leaves and use a muddler to bruise mint. Fill glass halfway with crushed ice and top off with club soda. If desired, add a splash of flavored vodka to glass before topping with club soda. Garnish with thin slice of orange and a couple of mint leaves.