Mint-Lemonade
August 9, 2010 • Category: Beverages
There is a café in the chic ABC mall in Beirut called Casper and Gambini; this is where I tried this mint-lemonade for the first time on a hot sweltering day. It came in semi-frozen form like a margarita and the combined taste of fresh mint and fresh lemons was so cool and tangy and refreshing! I had to get their recipe. Well, that did not happen so I came up with my own.
Here it is: this morning I drank the entire batch.
INGREDIENTS:
- 6 ounces of lemon juice
- sugar syrup: 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water
- 6 sprigs of mint
- ice cubes, as needed
- powdered sugar as needed
METHOD:
- First make the syrup by placing granulated sugar and water in a pan and heating the mixture till it dissolves.
- Juice enough lemons to get about 6 ounces.
- Wash one or two bunches of mint and cut off the leaves from the stalks.
- Place syrup, lemon juice, ice cubes (several, I used about 8), mint in a blender
- Run the machine until the mixture is smooth and looks like a frozen slush; taste for sweetness adding one tablespoon or more of powdered sugar if needed. Serve
Comments
65 Comments • Comments Feed
elra says:
Oh yummy and refreshing! Beautiful photos Joumana 🙂
On August 9, 2010 at 10:46 am
Suman singh says:
looks so refreshing..love that lime green color…lovely…perfect for these hot summer days out here…
On August 9, 2010 at 11:08 am
Grapefruit says:
Looks refreshingly delicious!
And I loooooooove Casper & Gambinis. Try out their sticky date pudding next time – it’s to die for!
On August 9, 2010 at 11:17 am
Recipe for Delicious says:
Oh wow! I love iced mint tea, but this looks even better! My mint is plentiful right now so I’ll have to give this a try!
On August 9, 2010 at 11:18 am
T.W. Barritt says:
Wow, that looks SO beautiful and thirst quenching!
On August 9, 2010 at 11:28 am
Katerina says:
Tomorrow here the temperature will climb to 38 degrees Celcius. This lemonade is ideal for such a hot day. It looks very refreshing.
On August 9, 2010 at 12:54 pm
joudie kalla says:
Mint, lemon, ice, sugar….. All thats missing is the rum… 🙂 I love the sound of this drink. it certainly looks so refreshing. The colour just pops right out at you. Im sure the impact of the flavour is just as strong as the visual aspect. Gorgeous. Unfortunately it is not hot in london, but it doesnt mean we cant enjoy this drink…. Loving it….
On August 9, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Anita says:
Love anything with lemons.. this lemonade looks sooo refreshing. Thanks
On August 9, 2010 at 1:08 pm
Joyti says:
That looks like the perfect way to cool down in the heat…even the vibrant green looks cool!
On August 9, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Adelina says:
Great idea! It looks soooo good! We love making lemonade at home and I am sure the mint will suffice my family’s drink choice palate.
On August 9, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Lydia says:
I’ve never seen a mint lemonade quite like this one. No wonder you drank the entire batch — it looks gorgeous and so refreshing!
On August 9, 2010 at 2:00 pm
TheKitchenWitch says:
Oh my goodness, that looks and sounds lovely. Perfect for beating the sweltering summer heat.
On August 9, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Katie @Cozydelicious says:
Yum! So refreshing. I have been totally into lemonade this summer – strawberry lemonade, watermellon lemonade… now I have to try it with mint!
On August 9, 2010 at 2:51 pm
Juliana says:
What a refreshing way to celebrate Summer…beautiful pictures Joumana!
On August 9, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Krista says:
Oh Joumana, you just made my day with this GORGEOUS drink!! I LOVE the flavors you’ve combined and can’t wait to try it. 🙂 I’m just waiting for another hot day – cold and rainy this afternoon. 🙂
On August 9, 2010 at 3:19 pm
Mimi says:
We are expecting hot weather this week and this will be a great way to cool off.
Mimi
On August 9, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Susan says:
That sounds absolutely delightful and refreshing. The beautiful, green color is even cooling to the eyes.
On August 9, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Dimah says:
Your lemonade looks great! Perfect during the summer!
On August 9, 2010 at 4:15 pm
Lyndsey says:
This sounds really good and refreshing! My mint is going good right now! My lemons should be ready in a few months, then I need to find many ways to use lemons. I want to try this now! I bet it would be good in limeade too!
On August 9, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Kerstin says:
I would drink the entire batch too – it looks so delicious and incredibly refreshing!
On August 9, 2010 at 9:35 pm
tigerfish says:
This must be so so refreshing.
On August 9, 2010 at 9:53 pm
rebecca says:
oh wow this looks amazing
On August 9, 2010 at 10:17 pm
Pauline says:
Gorgeous colour ! Must be good with limes too.
On August 9, 2010 at 11:20 pm
peanutts says:
oh my, looks delish, a first class thirst quencher 🙂
On August 10, 2010 at 1:34 am
Camille says:
Looks lovely and incredibly cooling! Wish it was hotter here – I’d whip some of this up right now. My mint plant is out of control! 🙂
On August 10, 2010 at 1:49 am
MaryMoh says:
Wow…this looks so refreshing and healthy. Thanks for sharing. I’ll drink the whole jug too 😀
On August 10, 2010 at 2:12 am
Joanne says:
I would not have thought to put mint and lemon together but it sounds so refreshing! Like a lemon version of a mojito!
On August 10, 2010 at 5:08 am
Conor @ HoldtheBeef says:
A lovely glass of freshness! It is the opposite of what I need right now but will hopefully remember to refresh (ho ho) my memory of it when summer hits us down here 🙂
On August 10, 2010 at 5:54 am
alwayswinner786 says:
Absolutely go green recipe! Very refreshing for summer and the fresh bubbles makes it more tempting!
On August 10, 2010 at 5:55 am
Sushma Mallya says:
Perfect drink to quench the thirst…lovely one…
On August 10, 2010 at 6:39 am
lemonade says:
That looks really pretty, although I don’t think my kids are going to dig this one, lol! They’re okay with green bits (mint leaves actually) floating around their glass of lemonade but a really green one? I think that will take them a lot of time of getting used to. It’ll be perfect for hubby and I, that’s for sure. 🙂 As for the kids, I’d probably make a watermelon lemonade for them, it got a really pretty color. 🙂
On August 10, 2010 at 6:55 am
Mary says:
What a beautiful and refreshing beverage. This sounds absolutely delightful to have in hand on a hot summer’s afternoon. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings…Mary
On August 10, 2010 at 9:00 am
Tammy says:
Joumana, THAT looks amazing, and I plan to make it ASAP! In the meantime, I’m trying to pull together dinner, and was trying to click on the link for the traditional tabouleh recipe from your post about National Tabouleh Day–but the link doesn’t work. Also couldn’t find that particular recipe by using the search function. Do you have any suggestions?
On August 10, 2010 at 10:00 am
Joumana says:
@Tammy: the spelling was the problem and I fixed it, sorry about that!
/www.tasteofbeirut.com/2009/01/tabouleh-salad/
On August 10, 2010 at 10:13 am
Nadji says:
Une limonade bien fraiche . Facile à faire en plus.
Elle doit être délicieuse.
A bientôt.
On August 10, 2010 at 10:39 am
grace says:
what a completely refreshing and invigorating drink!
On August 10, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Cheftometrist says:
Wow, does that drink look so refreshing!! I wish I could just reach right into my computer screen.
On August 11, 2010 at 3:39 am
Tina says:
I WANT!
On August 13, 2010 at 3:10 pm
Andy says:
Not my thing (it having mint in it and all), but I am sure Nicole would love it!
On August 15, 2010 at 7:33 pm
A Canadian Foodie says:
I cannot wait to try this in my Thermomix. Thank you for the idea – so simple – yet soooo appealing….!!!!
XO
On August 18, 2010 at 7:43 pm
maychat says:
I discovered this wonderful drink just this past month at the Riviera beach club. That lemonade was so refreshing and yummy that I had to find the recipe and make it myself. I’m actually drinking it as I type. With ever sip I am transported back to that hot and sunny day I spent hanging out at the Riviera pool with my husband and a couple of girlfriends. I miss vacation and I miss Beirut.
Thank you for the recipe : )
On November 2, 2010 at 6:52 pm
Sanjeeta kk says:
Came here Googling for a mint lemonade. and this looks just the right for my get together next week. Thanks for the recipe. Lovely being here.
On January 10, 2011 at 4:15 am
VictorCh says:
Glad to have found you!
Question from Roumania: couldn’t it be sweetened with honey instead of powdered sugar?
On May 29, 2011 at 10:30 am
Joumana says:
@VictorCh: Honey or any sweetener you like!
On May 29, 2011 at 12:35 pm
Carel says:
I tried this, it tastes perfect, but mine did not look like yours. Yours, and the ones in Beirut and Amman, are very green and stay green while drinking. In mine, the mint soon floated to the top, leaving the (mint flavored) lemonade below. Do you know how to solve this problem? Thanks!
On September 25, 2011 at 1:29 am
Joumana says:
@Carel: Did you place ice-cubes in there? I did not keep this lemonade long enough to see if the mint separates. I am planning this week to make more mint lemonade with the mint in my patio and I will check it and let you know. There is another option, which is to make a mint syrup and then mix it with the lemonade. It takes longer, though, because the mint leaves have to soak overnight and the liquid gets a few drops of green food coloring. Let me know if you are interested and I will pass on the recipe for the mint syrup.
On September 25, 2011 at 2:47 am
Kathleen Nugent says:
Please post full recipe for making mint lemonade with mint syrup… I have it when I live in Dubai and now back in the USA and missing it.
Many thanks
On March 9, 2012 at 7:54 pm
S says:
That looks awesome. Can you tell me how long this drink can keep in the fridge without losing its slushiness? I mean, if i refrigerate, will all the slush sink to the bottom and separate from the watery parts? Is this a make-n-drink-right-away kind of drink?
On June 10, 2013 at 6:52 pm
Joumana says:
@S: yes, you need to drink it right away or strain it if you want to keep it longer; keep in mind that vitamins out of citrus diminish with time anyway.
On June 11, 2013 at 1:16 am
S says:
thanks for the response. one more Q – u mention water in the ingredients, but not in the recipe itself; do u add it w/ everything else or is it just a backup in case the drink is too thick, or is it just a typo?
On June 13, 2013 at 2:45 pm
Joumana says:
@S: sorry it was an error; here is the idea: juice the lemons; make a sugar syrup (actually make the sugar syrup first to get it cooled by the time you make the lemonade). Add only as much mint as you can handle (it gets pungent), say a few sprigs to one bunch, leaves only; whirl in a blender with some ice cubes and taste the result, strained (or not if you like more pungent). enjoy cold.
On June 13, 2013 at 11:06 pm
Ramsons & Bramble says:
This drink recipe looks fab! I am planning on including it in a post this week as a recommended drink to accompany my Middle Eastern brunch menu. I don’t plan on including the recipe on my blog, just a description and a link to it. Would you mind if I included one of your photos with the recommendation?
On July 1, 2014 at 3:59 pm
Joumana says:
@Ramsons & Bramble: I don’t mine if the photo is given credit. Thanks! 🙂
On July 2, 2014 at 2:02 am
Ramsons & Bramble says:
Great Joumana, thanks very much!
On July 2, 2014 at 8:39 am
Joumana says:
@Ramsons & Bramble: My pleasure!
On July 2, 2014 at 8:44 am
Bel says:
Tonight discovered minted lemonade and thrilled to find your website with all the lovely recipes and picks, thank you!
On October 16, 2014 at 10:23 pm
jennie says:
the recipe look good. this recipe good for how many person???
On November 21, 2014 at 2:06 am
Joumana says:
@jennie: The recipe is good for 4 servings
On November 21, 2014 at 2:59 am
james says:
what is the taste of it?
On June 3, 2015 at 6:49 pm