Citrus Spritz Recipe

Make the syrup

Combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Add the orange, lemon, and lime zests. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes to infuse the zests. Remove from heat and let cool 20–30 minutes to deepen flavor.

Strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve into a heatproof container, pressing on the zests to extract liquid. Discard the solids. Chill the syrup in the refrigerator until cold. Yields about 1 to 1 1/4 cups citrus syrup.

Juice the fruit

While the syrup chills, juice fresh oranges, lemons, and limes. Strain the juices through a fine mesh sieve into a measuring cup to remove pulp and seeds so the spritz is smooth. You should have 1 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons lime juice.

Combine the strained orange, lemon, and lime juices with 1/2 cup of the chilled citrus syrup in a pitcher. Stir until fully integrated. Taste and adjust sweetness by adding up to 2 tablespoons more syrup if you prefer sweeter.

Serve

Fill four glasses with about 1/2 cup ice each (total ~2 cups ice). Add 1/4 cup of the citrus base mixture to each glass.

Top each glass with 1/2 cup club soda (total 2 cups across four glasses). Gently stir once to combine—avoid stirring vigorously so the soda stays fizzy.

Divide the mint leaves and place them lightly in each glass (about 2 leaves per glass). Garnish each with a thin orange slice and a lemon twist. Optionally slap the mint once between your hands before adding to release aroma.

Serve immediately. If preparing pitcher-style, keep soda chilled and add right before serving to retain effervescence.