Sit-Down. Relax. Retreat. Serve. Lee-mon-CHEH-loh.
Doesn't just looking at this make you feel cool (as in cold).
It's hot where I live. Very hot. I needed something cold and refreshing.
I needed something to sip on as the Wild Boar and I sat in our backyard watching the water drain out of our algae-stricken pool and as the golden-brown hue of a California smoke-filled sky hung heavily overhead. It was such a magical moment. Really it was.
I needed something to celebrate the air conditioning working at full capacity again.
All it took was leaving a message for the air conditioning repair service to get the Wild Boar into fix-it-man-mode. I'm still not sure why sweating to death did not push him into his usual repairman role. The guy can fix anything. Maybe he was too hot? Anyway, he looked at the unit for two minutes and figured out what was wrong. We've been burning an extreme amount of cooling kilowatts ever since.
The kids thought lemonade would be appropriate for this impromptu party. Mommy and Daddy had something else in mind.
With this recipe we all got what we wanted.
Lemonade for the hooligans and Limoncello Lemonade for Mama and Papa. Isn't that what we would be called if we were drinking this Limoncello in Italy? I love it.
If you've never had the pleasure of tasting Limoncello you must try it. It is a sweet, aromatic, lemon liqueur. It's made from the rinds of lemon and not the juice, so there is no sourness. It is lovely and sweet.
This Limoncello Lemonade is a treat in itself. It's sweet, cool, spritzy and just darn awesome on a hot summer day.
Let's make it together...shall we?
So I had to use this weird background to take this picture. The light coming into my kitchen was so strange from the smoke-filled sky. It was causing an unforgivable hue. This sort of helped.
Here is what you will need in order to beat the heat: Limoncello, club soda, lemonade concentrate, fresh mint leaves, fresh lemon juice and ice cubes.
Here's the trick to this drink, making it the simplest cocktail to throw together. Instead of making a simple syrup with sugar and hot water you use lemonade concentrate. The concentrate will add both sweetness and citrus flavor to the drink. With the leftover concentrate you can make the kids lemonade. Perfect.
To a pouring vessel add 1/2 cup lemonade concentrate, 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves and 2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Using a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon, muddle the mint leaves with the lemonade and lemon juice. This releases the natural oils of the mint.
Divide the mint-lemonade mixture among four glasses.
Add 1/4 cup club soda to the lemonade-mint mixture.
Add 1/2 cup limoncello on top of the club soda and top with ice.
Garnish each glass with lemon slices and sprigs of fresh mint.
And serve it up in lots of fun glasses. It is so good. And refreshing, and I know I already said that but it's true.
And here is another virtual cocktail napkin to add to your collection. Enjoy!
Limoncello Lemonade
Makes four 10 ounce drinks
1/2 cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup club soda, divided
2 cups limoncello, divided
Ice cubes, crushed
Lemon slices and fresh mint leaves for garnish
In a pouring vessel, add lemonade concentrate, fresh lemon juice and fresh mint leaves. Muddle these together using a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon. Divide the mixture among four glasses.
To each glass add 1/2 cup limoncello and 1/4 cup club soda. Top each glass with crushed ice. Garnish each glass with sliced lemon and fresh mint leaves.
Come back soon and we'll make a super simple Tangy Lemon-Limoncello Pie. Yum.
I am so making this when we get done moving. Sounds like the perfect "first night in out house and I'm hot and tired" drink. YUM!
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I love Lemoncellos and I actually have that brand in my stash as we speak. I'm going to have to pull it out and whip up a batch of these very soon!
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YUM. Can I have one NOW???!!! Totally making these tonight!
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Lemoncello! Thanks for that beautiful lemon drink recipe. I had already checked out to see if our local spirit store had lemoncello, because Danny Divito came out with his own version of it. Well, at least I know I can get that without any problem. My problem is the produce here in our small town. We do have Wal Mart, but their produce lacks a lot of what you would need to make a beautiful presentation as you did. For one thing, the mint is always old and starting to dry up. The lemons they stock are full of seeds. They used to carry a bag of California lemons, but now they get them in bulk from Mexico and they are very bad quality. So I will have to go elsewhere to get what I need to make that cool refreshing and beautiful drink. Thanks again for that recipe. I am going to try it. I have never tasted lemoncello, but have had the desire ever since I saw Danny DiVito on TV spotlighting his new product. Ciao!
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Oh Cathy that drink looks so refreshing and it is peak heat season here. So I will be pulling my bottle of Limoncello out of the fridge and following your instructions for that great looking drink! Hopefully that pool will be ready for action again soon!
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Ah, the smog and smoke of Cali. Gotta love it. There truly is no place like CA. I have visited often and long to go back. I love the feel, the atmosphere, the vibe, the WARMTH! I am a very cold person at all times, so Cali is a wonderful place to be. Except San Fran. I freeze everytime I'm there - but oh how I love it there.
www.glamlifehousewife.blogspot.com
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Cathy,
It looks and sounds awesome!
I've heard it's super hot in your neck of the woods. We are finally getting into the 80's here... just right for sipping these!
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A P.S. to my last comment. My husband just walked in an looked at your photos of the limoncello mint lemonade and said it looks so good, "Let have some!" So off to the store we will go in search of all the finest ingredients. Thanks again!
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That looks lovely! Will add it to my summer drink list
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Cathy, those look divine! I am not much of a drinker so I don't know, but is limoncello really strong? Anyhow, Schlitterbahn is a great waterpark here in Texas. It is in San Marcos, TX & is about 3 hours from where we live. It is very very very shady & all natural...here is a website :http://www.schlitterbahn.com/nb/
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Beautiful drinks. Love those glasses--they are so much easier to sip martini's too.
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Yum! Cindy over Figs, Lavender and Cheese has a great homemade limoncello recipe that I'm going to make, but I will try that brand until it's ready!
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C-ductive.....wow nice photos great drink what else can I say
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Yum! I even have fresh mint in the garden! And I'm with you on the wierd light from the smoke. It feels like a bad sci-fi movie.
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I want that. NOW!! I hope I can find the Lemoncello--will search today so hopefully we'll be drinking those by tomorrow. Thank you and I hope your pool is better!!
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That looks yummy. I will definitely have to try it out.
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I am so addicted to limoncello that I'm verging on needing an intervention. Heck, I'm even baking with it now.
Nothing beat limoncello, ice cold on a sunny day. Your drink looks wonderful.
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Looks easy enough to make!
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Dang... that looks SCRUMPTIOUS.
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All the glasses are different - that is so cute!
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This looks divine. I am ready to make it now...and it is early morning.
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That does sound good. I had a scoop of limoncello gelato on a hot afternoon earlier this week. It was divine. This drink sounds equally delicious. I can't wait to try a sip!
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Ugh, I am so jealous. It's practically the middle of a monsoon down this end; if I were any cooler it'd be as frosty as the North Pole. (Well, as frosty as the North Pole a hundred years ago. Now I am told that it is full of baby polar bears screaming, thrashing around and drowning in boiling blood red seas.) Nonetheless, I never turn down a drink with sprigs of fresh mint ^__^.
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Oh. How. Divine. I am soooo adding this to my list of drinks to try.
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Ooh yum! It is HOT all around the country, huh? I think I'd like to throw in a splash of rum and then chug-a-lug.
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Yum, Yum YUM! That looks fantastic. Our cousin brought us a wonderful bottle of his homemade Lemoncello...guess what it's going to be used for??
Hope your pool woes are resolving themselves.
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This would go so well right now! Even though I'm not supposed to drink at work.
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Looks yummy and refreshing. I really love the fresh mint leaves as well. It really seems to put ordinary drinks over the top and makes them extraordinary drinks.
Cheers!
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I love Limoncello! It reminds me of stealing a sip of my grandfather's when I was little. He made the best!
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Holy smack those sound good. We have an almost full bottle of limencello that we bought after returning home from Italy and we were feeling all "international" (great, now I have a picture of Christopher Walken with that cheesy mustache). Now I have a reason to crack it open, hot or not!
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Yep going to try Lemoncellos this weekend at Princess' home coming BBQ
Looks Wonderful!
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yeah, this definitely screams REFRESHING. i'm also hearing it say DELICIOUS and MAKE ME NOW.
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Your drinks always look so good but I always end up settling for the lemonade.
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That looks so good my teeth already hurt.
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I love any drink with mint and Lemoncello. Awesome recipe, Cathy. Thanks.
BTW, I invented a drink sold at the Inn I ran in Concord, MA. My twisted take on mojito. I used country fresh lemonade, add strawberry puree (to make strawberry lemonade). Then muddle mint with ice. Pour in 1 1/2 oz of Coconut Rum (Malibu) and fill the glass with strawberry lemonade.
It was so popular and became permanent item on drink menu. Great summer drink. Just sharing
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Love the lemon-y cocktails! I might have to try them out on some victims we have coming to dinner tomorrow night.
Thanks!
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Oh Limoncello! We loved, loved, loved trying the different versions each restaurant served when we went to Italy. I have a bottle of it (from the source) sitting in my cupboard right now. This looks like an amazing way to use it! Oh, I'm so excited.
One of my culinary goals is to make my own batch. When I do I'll let you know!
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OH, I can't wait for the pie. this is wonderful too.
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Yum, yum, yum! My 2 favorite cocktails combined (lemon drops and mojitos.) I have homemade limoncello in the refrigerator, and fresh mint in the garden...I know what we are having as a pre-dinner cocktail tonight.
Thank you!
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That looks so refreshing! I'm going to have to search out some limoncello!
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Can I come and live with you guys ? I cook rather well & garden.
Fidel won't mind as well as he gets fed *lol*
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I so want to come to your house just for the various liquid refreshments! The pictures and directions are wonderful. Must. Make. This. Soon.
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Cathy, this drink looks so refreshing! I would love to sit on my porch sipping this! Too bad you had to deal with the algae in your pool and the smoke in your horizon!
I think most men are all the same. As soon as they think we are going to turn to someone else for help, they have to do what they should have done in the first place.....fix it!
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Do you know you're a drink genius? I thought the breakfast drink was good, but this one, geez! Magnificent!
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The lemonade looks perfect for these days but ouch for your laundry pile.
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This looks awesome! I've only had limoncello straight up--never mixed in with anything. Definitely want to try this.
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This sounds fantastic.
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I know that I'm still pregnant (deep sigh) but I went to the store to make sure I had all things at the ready to make this cocktail when I walk in the door from the hospital because a couple of sips will be needed after spending time with my MIL and my mother and my grandmother and my FIL and my own father and through my husband and a potentially screaming child in the mix and well this will be NECESSARY.
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Ah...THAT's what I'm thirsty for right now.
Although if I drink one, I'm heading straight for naptime. Not so bad, really.
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That cocktail looks delicious! I could do with one of those now
Cheers,
Rosa
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Mmmm! Did you drink all four yourself? I sure would have!
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I've only had limoncello twice and both times it tasted like lemon pledge - maybe it really needed to be more diluted.
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That looks excellent! I even have that very same brand of limoncello at home. Obviously, this is fate.
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