This post is sponsored by the National Mango Board
There is nothing better than a chilled and bubbly summertime cocktail! This summer, I’m enjoying what I call The Best Mango Spritz Cocktail Recipe. It’s made with fresh mango, cinnamon simple syrup, fresh basil, and chilled prosecco. The flavors in this cocktail are sweet, warm, and fresh. It’s a delicious poolside cocktail and similar to Mango Tequila Cider.
One of the reasons I think you’ll love this Mango Spritz is that you can enjoy this cocktail year-round because, contrary to popular belief, mangos are always in season. There are six main varieties of mangos available at different times of the year that offer a unique flavor and texture.
Six Main Mango Varieties
Honey (originally Atalufo)
Peak availability: March – July: Honey mangos are sweet and sour with a tropical and peach aroma. They are vibrant yellow, smooth, and have firm flesh.
Francis
Peak availability: May – June: Francis mangos are sweet and fruity with peach and tropical fruit aroma. They are bright yellow with green overtones, and the texture is soft and juicy.
Haden
Peak availability: March-May – Haden mangos are sweet and sour with a slightly bitter aftertaste, with tropical fruit and peach notes. These mangos are bright red with green and yellow overtones, and small white dots with firm flesh.
Keitt
Peak availability: March – April, August, and September. Keitt mangos are sweet, fruity, and very popular in Asian cultures. Their texture is firm and juicy with high citrus notes.
Kent
Peak Availability: January, February, and December. Kent mangos are sweet with hints of sour notes, with peach and tropical fruit aroma. The texture is juicy with tender flesh.
Tommy Atkins
Peak availability: March – July. Tommy Atkins mangos are the most widely grown commercial variety coming into the United States. They are tart with sweet notes, with small hints of tropical fruit and citrus.
Learn more about additional mango varieties on Mango.org.
Mango can be enjoyed at all different levels of ripeness, which contributes to the versatility of the fruit across a variety of recipes. However, it’s important to understand how to manage ripeness to achieve the desired texture and taste in your dishes. Each mango variety has a slightly different color with spots of green or red, so do not use color as a guide to determine ripeness.
How to keep your mangos ripe while storing
- Keep unripe mangos at room temperature. They don’t need to be refrigerated before they are ripe.
- You can speed up ripening by placing them in a paper bag at room temperature.
- Once the mangos are ripe, you can place the whole mango in the refrigerator for up to 5 days to slow down the ripening process.
- Mangos can be peeled, cubed, and placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to six months.
- To check to see if a mango is fully ripe, give the mango a gentle squeeze to see if it gives slightly when pressed.
How to Cut a Mango?
Cutting a mango may seem a little intimidating at first, but it’s a lot easier than you might think, and all you need is a sharp knife. Mangos have one long flat seed in the middle, so you will want to cut vertically on each side of the mango seed when cutting into it. Once you have cut around the seed, you can slice the flesh of the mango into slices or a grid without breaking the skin, then simply scoop the mango out. You can learn more about cutting mango here. For this recipe, I cut my mango into cubes and scooped the chunks into the blender. My mangos were firm enough for me to cut even slices to use as garnish.
Nutrition: In addition to mangos being sweet, fruity, and versatile, they are full of health-promoting nutrients and bioactive compounds. A 3⁄4 cup of mango provides 50% of your daily vitamin C, 8% of your daily vitamin A, and 8% of your daily vitamin B6. Mangos are also a good source of folate (15% of the daily value) and copper (15% DV), which is essential for collagen development. Mangos not only contribute valuable nutrients and minerals, but they’re also classified as a low glycemic food, which can help manage blood sugar levels, according to the American Diabetes Association. This superfruit is not only delicious and nutritious in beverages and sweet recipes, but mangos also add beautiful tropical flavor to several savory dishes.
How to Make The Best Mango Spritz Cocktail
Step 1: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil until the sugar has dissolved. Add in the cinnamon sticks, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Step 2: Remove the saucepan from the heat and strain the syrup into a heat-proof container. Allow the syrup to cool before using.
Step 3: Using a sharp knife, cut the mango on both sides and into chunks using the method described above, then scoop the mango into a blender. Pour in the cinnamon simple syrup and water, then blend on low until the puree is smooth.
Step 4: Add the ice to a wine or spritz glass, add in the basil, and 3 tablespoons of the mango puree into the glass. Top with the chilled prosecco and garnish with 1 or 2 slices of mango.
Learn more about additional mango varieties on Mango.org.
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The Best Mango Spritz Cocktail Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 Minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 Cocktail 1x
- Category: Cocktails
Description
A refreshing spritz cocktail using fresh mango, cinnamon simple syrup, and prosecco.
Ingredients
Cinnamon simple syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
4 cinnamon sticks
Mango Spritz Cocktail
1 fresh mango
2 ounces cinnamon simple syrup
3 tablespoons water
1/2 cup crushed ice
4 sprigs fresh basil
4–6 ounces chilled prosecco
Mango slices, for garnish
Instructions
Cinnamon simple syrup
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil until the sugar dissolves. Add in the cinnamon sticks, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and strain the syrup into a heat-proof container. Allow the syrup to cool before using.
Mango Spritz Cocktail
- Using a sharp knife, cut the mango on both sides and into chunks using the method described above, then scoop the mango into a blender. Pour in the cinnamon simple syrup and water, then blend on low until the puree is smooth.
- Add the ice to a wine or spritz glass, add in the basil, and spoon 3 tablespoons of the mango puree into the glass. Top with the chilled prosecco and garnish with 1 or 2 slices of mango.
