Minty Lemonade

When I was a kid, instead of just asking for something to drink I would walk around saying, "I'm so draahhh," as if I were so parched I might pass out. I didn't grow up in the south. I just watched a lot of The Dukes of Hazzard. There was one poignant episode when Boss Hogg went to the Duke farm on a particularly hot summer day and declared, "Uncle Jesse, I'm so draahhh," so Uncle Jesse gave him a glass of lemonade.



There's nothing more refreshing than a tall, cold glass of lemonade (or lemonlade like my 3 1/2 year old friend Alex likes to say) on a hot day. And today, like Boss Hogg, I'm so draahhh and I need some homemade lemonade. Instead of making a straightforward version, I decided to give my lemonade a twist with an infusion of mint, not because I'm all that creative but because I happened to have a huge bunch of mint in my fridge, courtesy of a coworker's plentiful garden (Thanks, Lisa!!). All you have to do is make a batch of minted simple syrup and you're ready to go. (And no, it's not hard to do).



Minted Simple Syrup

1 1/2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh mint leaves

1. Bring the water to a boil. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from the heat.

2. Add the mint leaves and stir. Set aside to steep for 30 minutes.

3. Strain the simple syrup through a fine mesh sieve (or strainer) and discard the mint leaves. (Simple syrup may be stored tightly sealed in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.)



Tina's Tangy-Minty Lemonade

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
3/4 minted simple syrup
2 cups water

1. Pour the lemon juice, simple syrup and water into a pitcher and stir. Serve over ice and enjoy. (Additional simple syrup may be added to taste.) Serves 4.

I like my lemonade on the tart side, like me. You may want to add more simple syrup if you like it a bit sweeter. I also make my simple syrup with less sugar than is usually called for, so just taste the lemonade and adjust accordingly. The simple syrup is also great as a sweetener in tea, both hot and cold.