Citrus Summer Beverages

Citrus Summer Beverages

Nothing says summer like a nice cold citrus drink. Maybe it’s because the citrus flavors just scream “Summer’s here!”  Or perhaps it’s because of their clean and refreshing taste.  No matter what the reason, summer and citrus go hand-in-hand with a warm summer night. So sit back and relax with these mouthwatering drinks that feature citrus at its finest.

Limeade

This is one of the all time classics when it comes to summer.  Limeade is a sweet and tart drink that not only refreshes, but makes a sunshine-drenched day even better.  If you’re looking forward to making a giant batch of limeade to share with your friends and family, this is a super simple method.

Juice four to six fresh ripe limes, then combine with one liter of lemon-lime seltzer water, which can usually be found on the soda aisle of your local grocer.  Add in some superfine (castor) sugar to taste. Once you have everything mixed, throw some ice in a glass and fill it up with this over the top refreshing concoction.

Sparkling Italian Lemonade

Not your average lemonade, this drink is a basil infused lemonade that will knock your swim-floaties off!  There are certain flavors that play off each other, and lemon and basil are two of them. You won’t ever go back to a plain old lemonade once you try this.  But , before you get too far, you’ll need to make the simple syrup.  Don’t worry; it’s simple just like the name says.  In a saucepan, put two cups of sugar, one cup of water, and a handful of washed and chopped fresh basil leaves. Over medium heat, cook this until the sugar melts and the liquid reduces just a bit. Then set aside and let the syrup cool.

To make the lemonade, take about 12 to 15 lemons and juice them.  You want about two cups of freshly squeezed lemon juice.  Put the juice into a pitcher and add in two cups of the basil infused simple syrup. Then pour in two cups of sparkling water, add ice as desired, and serve immediately.

Written by carrie · Filed Under Beverages 
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