As you can probably tell by the previous recipes I've post on this site, I'm all about citrus and herbs in cooking! I always gravitate to bright, simple flavors in the kitchen, and this leads to having a lot of spare citrus and herb bouquets around to experiment with, this leading to concocting up some mint lemonade. This drink is sort of the pinnacle of refreshing in summer. The grassy kick of the mint is soothing and the bright zip of lemon juice is an instant pick me up after a long hot day.
While this drink isn't uncommon by any means, I was inspired by the version they sell at one of my favorite New York institutions, Mamouns. Mamouns, famous for it's $2.50 falafel sandwiches and incredible baklava, has been a staple for so many New York residents for years. Every time I stop by for a sandwich or a lemonade I remember my first years in the city, when getting a falafel and heading over to Fat Cats, with it's 3 dollar cover and 3 dollar PBRs, felt like the ultimate dream. To this day I love doing that, though I don't stop by for jazz nearly as often as I should. I had the pleasure of getting Mamoun's last weekend after checking out New York City's pride parade, which went right down to Washington Square park. If you're lucky enough to stop by, be sure to get extra Baklava, theirs is divine!
In any case, you can at least have mint lemonade, or even mint lemonade popsicles, at home any time you please with this recipe. I don't think the lemonade would pair too badly with some vodka or gin, but you can be the judge of that..
Mint Lemonade
- 3/4 a cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 a cup of simple syrup
- 4 cups of chilled water
- 1/4 cup of fresh mint leaves
- the zest of 1 lemon
1. After you've juiced your lemons, add all ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend on high until the mint is well incorporated.
2. Strain this mixture so that there isn't a bunch of mint pulp floating around.
3. If making popsicles, pour into molds and freeze until set!
