Were you looking for a refreshing lemonade recipe to cool you down this summer? Look no further. With humidity at 85%, it was the perfect drink this weekend at The Mansion while we played cards under the shade. It was also very appreciated as we munched our way through the brunch table at Vera’s.
The mint I’ve used for this lemonade is no ordinary kind. I first noticed this mint in a salad my mom served at a dinner party. It looked and tasted nothing like the mint I was used to. The leaves are much smaller and crunchier than the ordinary kind and the smell is stronger. Upon further investigation, I’ve learned that it wasn’t store bought; it was plucked fresh from my father’s mini garden at our balcony. A week later, I had my own pot of mint. And a month later, now, I have enough mint to prepare mint lemonades all summer long!
Later I’ve also learned that this variety is called Chocolate Mint! Ha! No wonder I liked it so much. By the way, that name is no coincidence. When you pluck a leaf from the stalk, it does smell like chocolate. You’d have to smell it to believe it.
With or without Chocolate Mint, this lemonade is delicious. All you need to do is prepare a lemon syrup flavored with a bunch of mint, bottle it and keep in your refrigerator. Then you’re good to go whenever you crave a glass of ice-cold lemonade.
MINT LEMONADE RECIPE
Adapted from Gourmet, July 2007
Ingredients
Yields about 6 cups
- 2 cups Mint Lemon Syrup (recipe below)
- 2 cups cold water
- 2 cups ice cubes
- 1 ¼ cups fresh lemon juice
Method
Stir together all ingredients in a large pitcher, then pour into glasses half-filled with ice.
MINT LEMON SYRUP RECIPE
Ingredients
Yields 2+1/2 cups
- 2 cups packed fresh mint sprigs
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Zest of 3 lemons
Method
- Bring water, sugar and lemon zest to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
- Remove from the heat, add the mint, stir to combine, and let stand at room temperature, covered, for 1 hour.
- Strain the syrup through a sieve into an airtight container, pressing hard on and then discarding the solids.
- The syrup will keep, covered and chilled, for five days.
The pictures with the lemonade look utterly simple and stunning. The color just jumps out at you. You know what would jazz that lemonade up? Some liqueur! It’s happy hour somewhere, right?!
I have a mint plant so I need to try this.
Definitely making some of this tomorrow. Hope you don’t mind if I turn it into a mojito 🙂
Oo, how exciting – I always dismissed chocolate mint, thinking that it probably didn’t have any chocolate-ness to it. Can’t wait to try some now.
Looks really good!
Have you try fresh pineaple juice with mint?
It is delicious too, my first try was at a Farm
Hotel in my Country, and since then I used to make when I have friends come over, the ones that have tried request and the ones that try the first time ask for a recipe.By tha way, your blog is amazing.
ah what a refreshing post. Its always the perfect drink for the summer !
That’s Look so refreshing indeed, perfect for summer.
I have chocolate mint grow in my herb garden, in fact they are grow like weed, so I have to keep pulling them and throw them away. They drive me crazy. I think I’d like to try your recipe, so I can at least use some of my mint for the drink. Cheers.
What a delightful drink (not to mention gorgeous photo!) – I’m having some folks over for dinner tonight… I wonder if I could add this recipe to the menu? Hmmm…
Thank you!
That looks so refreshing! It is hot and humid almost all year here so thanks for sharing this!
Yum! I loooove chocolate mint. Mixed through vanilla bean ice cream it’s heaven!
I’ve been drinking [too many!] Mojitos lately, and this sounds like a refreshing change!
Not only do the dishes look tantalizing… but your photography is beautiful…. very alive and vibrant with colours… wonderful presentation and very artistic… Bravo!!
Amanda – Definitely. The syrup makes a great whisky sour!
Hillary, Robin, Elra, Shari – Hope you like it.
Cynthia, Christie – Great idea.
Tatiana – Thanks for the great suggestion. I’ll try it.
Kate, Joey, Leesa – Thanks.
Ari – Do give it a try. I’m sure you’ll like it.
resimler çok elegan her zaman ki gibi
Hi Cenk,
I made this lemonade today, and this is definitely the best lemonade I have ever had in my entire life! I am NOT kidding! I didn’t have chocolate mint on hand, so I used regular fresh spearmint, but it’s still awesome! Thanks a lot! My husband (who has Turkish roots) said that he would buy 3 or 4 big bunches of mint tomorrow so that we could make and drink this lemonade often!