Citrus Vitamin Water

Headnote

This is a clear, bright fortified water built on restraint rather than sweetness. The balance should be clean and lightly tart, with enough sugar to give the drink body and enough acid to keep the finish precise. Served well chilled, it reads as a deliberate refreshment rather than a simple flavoured water.

Recipe essentials

Dish category: Fortified beverage

Cuisine or origin: Contemporary

Course type: Drink

Yield: 750 g

Serving size: 250 g

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Total time: 10 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Equipment

Digital scale

Small saucepan

Whisk

Fine-mesh strainer

Pitcher or bottle, 1 litre capacity

Chilled serving glasses

Ingredients

Base

Water, 686 g

Sugar, 60 g

Citric acid, 2 g

Natural flavoring, 2 g

Vitamin and mineral premix, 0 g

Method

1. Pour 500 g of the water into a small saucepan and add the sugar. Set over medium heat and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the sugar is fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Do not allow it to boil.

2. Remove from the heat and whisk in the citric acid until completely dissolved. The liquid should taste cleanly tart, with no graininess.

3. Add the natural flavoring and whisk briefly to distribute it evenly.

4. Add the remaining 186 g of water and whisk to cool the mixture slightly. The liquid should be uniform and transparent.

5. Add the vitamin and mineral premix and whisk until fully incorporated. Pass the drink through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher or bottle if any undissolved particles remain.

6. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. The finished drink should be cold, bright, and lightly sweet, with a crisp acid finish.

Plating and serving

Serve 250 g per glass in chilled, narrow glasses. The drink should be clear and composed, with a pale, luminous appearance and a brisk, refreshing finish.

Professional notes

Dissolve the sugar fully before adding the acid; this keeps the texture clean.

Keep the mixture off the boil to preserve a fresh aromatic profile.

Chill thoroughly before service, as the flavour reads sharper and more precise when cold.