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CitrusMintSummerBatchRefreshing

Mint Lemonade

Blended rather than muddled, which is what makes it green, cold and far more intense than the stirred version.

Mint Lemonade — a non-alcoholic drink served in a glass
Photo by PersonalCreations.com · CC BY 2.0 · via Openverse
Prep
6 min
Serves
4
Glass
Highball
Difficulty
Easy

Ingredients

  • 0.75 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 0.5 cup sugar
  • 3 cups cold water
  • 1 cup packed mint leaves
  • 2 cups ice
  • Pinch of salt
  • Mint sprig and lemon wheel, to garnish

Method

  1. 1Blend the lemon juice, sugar, salt and 1 cup of the water until the sugar dissolves.
  2. 2Add the mint and the ice and blend again, briefly — 15 seconds is plenty. Longer turns it bitter and khaki.
  3. 3Stir in the remaining water and taste.
  4. 4Serve immediately over ice with a mint sprig.

Notes

  • Blend the mint briefly and serve straight away. This drink is at its best in the first ten minutes and noticeably duller an hour later.
  • Blending with ice rather than water keeps the colour bright and the flavour concentrated.
  • Middle Eastern versions add a splash of orange blossom water, which is worth trying.

Common questions

Why did my mint lemonade turn brown?

Over-blending. Mint bruises and oxidises quickly, so a short blend and immediate serving keeps it green — long processing turns it both brown and bitter.

Make one of these next

  • Horchata

    Rice, cinnamon and milk, blended and strained. Sweet, cooling, and the best thing to drink with spicy food.

  • Pink Lemonade

    Coloured with real fruit rather than syrup, and sharp enough to actually be refreshing.

  • Strawberry Lemonade

    Real macerated strawberries rather than syrup, and sharp enough to be worth drinking.

A new recipe each month

Plus new venues and a Dry January plan when it comes round.