RECIPE: HOMEMADE LEMONADE RECIPE

Summer and lemonade go together like ram-a-lam-a-lam-a.... You know the song.  Here's a delicious tart and refreshing homemade lemonade recipe; so much better than that powdered stuff!

It's really simple. The ratio is four cups of water to one cup fresh squeezed lemon juice plus 1/2 cup of sugar or simple syrup. That's it! If it is really hot and I expect ice to melt as soon as the lemonade hits it, I reduce the water so it isn't diluted.

BASIC LEMONADE RECIPE 

To make enough for 4-5 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice, about 10 lemons

1 cup sugar (more to taste if you like it really sweet and you can substitute simple syrup if you prefer- I always use my LEMON SIMPLE SYRUP)

7 to 8 cups cold water

DIRECTIONS

In a pitcher, add the sugar and the lemon juice and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Add the water and chill. OR- mix the lemon juice and the water together, adding the simple syrup to taste. Chill. Serve over ice.

Serving Tips: On a hot day, I will use 1-2 cups less water because I know the lemonade will become diluted with the melting ice. Sometimes, I freeze lemonade into ice cubes or freeze large plastic containers of lemonade. I put the lemonade into a large plastic milk jug or other repurposed plastic jug or pitcher. Freeze solid. A few hours before the party, I remove them from the freezer and allow them to become slushy. Soooo good on a hot day!

HOW-TO: LEMON SIMPLE SYRUP

There is a lot of talk on social media about LEMONADE these days...  which has me thinking about my favorite summer beverage....  not Beyonce's record. Lemonade based drinks and cocktails are always part of summer fun so I'm sharing my secret that takes ordinary lemonade to another level. I use lemon simple syrup to sweeten it which is so much better than dumping in sugar and stirring until it dissolves. You can use lemon simple syrup in many different cocktails or to sweeten iced tea. During the summer, I keep some in the fridge- it will keep in a Mason jar for 2-3 weeks.

When I'm using lemons for cooking or baking, I always zest them first before juicing them. I put the zest in a quart sized Mason jar filled with granulated sugar. I add the zest to the sugar and shake it up- that way, when I want to make lemon simple syrup, I have the lemon sugar ready to go. It will keep in the Mason jar for 2-3 months but best if used within a few weeks.

LEMON SIMPLE SYRUP

Makes 1 cup

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons lemon zest (about 4 lemons)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

DIRECTIONS

Add the lemon zest to the sugar. Put water in a pan over high heat.. Add the lemon sugar. Stir. Bring to a boil and remove from heat immediately, stirring to make sure the sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to cool completely.

Strain into a glass container, like a Mason jar. Press the remaining zest with the back of a wooden spoon to remove all of the syrup from it before discarding it.

Use the lemon simple syrup for one of these LEMONADE RECIPES!

SIGNATURE COCKTAIL RECIPE: THE SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN

One gracious way to set the tone for a party or a wedding is to serve guests a signature cocktail as they arrive. As a host, having a pre-made cocktail does make bartending duties easier. I love to have a large tray of drinks waiting for guests at the door so they can help themselves and immediately mingle.

For weddings, you can use a signature cocktail to bring some of your heritage or personal style to the party and it does help reduce costs if you serve it in place of a full bar.

The Southern Gentleman cocktail is bourbon, mint, and blackberries with a float of Prosecco on top. This cocktail was crafted for Kathleen & Keith's New Year's Eve wedding in Palm Beach as tribute to the couple's Southern heritage-Kathleen is from New Orleans, her husband Keith is from Jacksonville. Everyone raved about it that night! (Kudos to Aaron's Catering/International Polo Club Palm Beach for crafting it perfectly!) This goes down really easy. Even the non-bourbon drinkers like it!

Because everyone asked for the recipe, Keith asked me to show him how to make it. We recreated it last week at their home. This recipe is for one cocktail but it is easy to make for a big crowd. Instead of muddling the blackberries, I use a stick blender to puree them and then strain. If you don't have a stick blender, you can use a wooden spoon and a mesh sieve to achieve the same results. It just takes longer.

THE SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN COCKTAIL

INGREDIENTS

1 ounce simple syrup, chilled
4-5 fresh blackberries
4-5 fresh mint leaves, torn
1 1/2 ounces bourbon
Splash of chilled Prosecco

INSTRUCTIONS
Make a simple syrup using equal parts sugar and water. (Put water and sugar in a sauce pot- stir to combine.  Bring to boil, once it boils remove from heat. Stir to dissolve sugar and let cool completely.

For 1:
Muddle 4-5 fresh or frozen blackberries and 4-5 torn mint leaves in a shaker with an ounce of simple syrup, crushing the berries and bruising the mint.  (I allow to sit for a while to absorb- but you don't have to)

Add 1 1/2 ounces bourbon- we used Buffalo Trace for this recipe.

Shake well. Taste. You may want a bit more simple syrup depending on how sweet the berries are.

Pour over crushed ice and top with a float of chilled Prosecco.