Squeeze some fun into summer with a tall glass of lemonade. Refreshing and simple to make, it’s the hottest cool drink during this time of year. Below, Jason Hook, chef extraordinaire and owner of h2o kitchen, shares four sip-worthy recipes that are perfect for your lazy days of summer, whether you’re playing a round of golf, enjoying a warm breeze (and, of course, this issue of Berks County Living!) on your patio or hanging out with neighbors at a backyard clam bake.
Sparkling Blueberry Lemonade
- 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup blueberry juice
- 3 cups cold sparkling water
You’ll smile, sparkle and shine with this berry good recipe. Bring water and sugar together to a simmer on the stove, and stir until all sugar has dissolved. Pour the simple syrup into a cup, and stick it into the refrigerator to chill for an hour. When ready to make the lemonade, juice the lemons, and then pour the lemon juice through a strainer and into a pitcher to catch the seeds. Add the chilled simple syrup to the lemon juice, along with the blueberry juice and sparkling water. Stir well. Garnish with fresh or frozen blueberries and fresh lemon slices.
Basil-Gin Lemonade
- 1/2 bunch green basil
- 1/4 bunch opal (purple) basil
- 1/4 bunch Thai basil
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups gin, preferably Bombay Sapphire
- 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced crosswise
- 3/4 cup triple sec
- ice
The different varieties of basil help to make this lemonade cocktail shine brighter than the summer sun. Reserve a handful of the combined basil leaves plus four small sprigs of each variety to use as garnish. In a medium saucepan, bring 1½ cups water, the sugar and the remaining basil to a boil. Pull off the heat and let steep for about 5-10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then refrigerate until cold. Strain into a clean container, pressing down on the basil to extract any liquids; discard the basil. In a pitcher, combine the basil syrup, gin, lemon juice and triple sec. Stir in the basil leaves and lemon and orange slices. Serve in tall glasses over ice, topped with a sprig of basil.
Watermelon and Strawberry Lemonade "Slushy"
- 8 cups cubed and seeded watermelon, placed in freezer
- 1 cup strawberries, halved and pitted
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 cups water
For this simple-and-sweet recipe, combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth, and until the ingredients have a slushy consistency. Garnish with fresh strawberry slices.
Meyer Lemon "Arnold Palmer"
- 4 earl grey tea bags
- 1 tea kettle filled with boiling water
- 1 cup simple syrup
- 1 cup Meyer lemon juice
- 1 Meyer lemon zest, microplaned
- 2 cups ice cubes
Simple Syrup:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 8 sprigs fresh mint
- 8 sprigs spearmint
Step 1: Tie the tea bags together and attach to the handle of a large pitcher. Pour the hot water over the tea bags and into the pitcher. Seal and set outside to steep in the sun for approximately 8 hours.
Step 2: For the lemonade, add the mint simple syrup, Meyer lemon juice, Meyer lemon zest and ice cubes to a blender. Pulse to puree. Place the mixture into the freezer until the tea has finished steeping. When ready, add ice cubes to a large glass and top with the tea. Scrape the lemonade with a fork, making essentially a granita. Top the tea with a large mound of the shaved lemonade ice. Garnish with a sprig of each mint.
Step 3: For the simple syrup, add the sugar and water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Add 4 sprigs of each variety of mint. Remove from the heat and steep for 10 minutes. Cool completely. Strain simple syrup into a clean container, pressing on the mint to extract all liquid.
compiled by Kristin Boyd | recipes and photos by Jason Hook, h2o kitchen
