I started tinkering with the Belly Dancer cocktail last summer after my friend came back from a Mediterranean trip, raving about all the dreamy, minty drinks she’d tried. Of course, I had to try recreating (and, let’s be honest, outdoing) her favorite. There were a few questionable experiments at first – one batch was so overpoweringly minty, someone compared it to mouthwash – but eventually I landed on a version that quickly became my backyard party MVP.
If you’re wondering, no, the Belly Dancer doesn’t have some ancient Turkish heritage (despite what one very enthusiastic party guest claimed after her third). It’s really a modern mash-up – think classic mint and citrus, but with a cool little twist. I actually started calling it “Belly Dancer” after noticing how the mint leaves seem to swirl and shimmy in the bubbly club soda. Or maybe that’s just how it looks after you’ve had a couple.
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It’s that Holy Grail of summer drinks: vodka for crispness, lemon for tang, mint for a blast of freshness, and club soda to make it all breezy and light. I love that it’s easy to make in big batches – trust me, pitchers disappear fast once the sun goes down.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz (60 ml) vodka
- 1 oz (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 oz (30 ml) mint syrup
- 2 oz (60 ml) club soda
- Fresh mint (for garnish)
- Ice
(Confession: I serve these in whatever’s clean – highballs when I’m fancy, but mason jars, tumblers, or even old wine glasses have all made appearances. No one’s ever complained.)
Instructions:
- Throw some ice in a shaker, add vodka and lemon juice.
- In goes the mint syrup – store-bought is just fine in a pinch but, if you have the time, homemade really takes things up a notch. (Pro tip: simmer equal parts water and sugar with loads of mint till dissolved, then let it cool and strain out the leaves. House will smell amazing.)
- Shake it all up until the shaker’s frosty.
- Fill your glass with fresh ice and strain everything in.
- Top (gently!) with club soda so you keep those lovely bubbles.
- Grab a sprig of mint, give it a quick slap between your palms – that’s my cousin’s bartender trick – plop it on top.
Don’t stress about the vodka. If you need a mocktail, just skip it and splash in a little extra club soda. My pregnant sister-in-law swears this is the only mocktail that feels like a ‘real’ drink.
One thing I always do: stash my glasses in the freezer before guests arrive. Super chilled everything is non-negotiable when it’s sweltering outside. Warm glass, warm drink, grumpy guests.
Flavor-wise, this thing is like a blank canvas. Craving something more floral? Steal my neighbor’s move and add a tiny dash of rosewater. Want it fruitier? Muddle in a few raspberries. I’ve even swapped the vodka for gin when I felt like showing off.
Food pairings? It shines next to pretty much everything Mediterranean – grilled chicken skewers, salty feta, bowls of tzatziki. Last time, someone showed up with spicy hummus and it was an absolute hit.
My only real advice: taste as you go. I like mine tart, but my best friend’s sweet tooth demands an extra splash of syrup. Loosen up, play with it. That’s half the fun and how you’ll figure out your own signature.
So, there it is – probably more info than you asked for, but hey, if you try it, let me know which glass you end up using. And whether your mint leaves do the dance too.
