Lychee Lemonade

This sunshine in a glass is so much more than just a lychee lemonade. It makes the perfect base for cocktails, iced matchas or just for an afternoon beverage on a hot summers day.

I’ve made this countless times since the first time I made it and I won’t be looking back!

All you need is a high speed blender, a fine mesh strainer and something to strain the lychee pulp from the lemonade. A nut milk bag or cheesecloth works perfect.

Shake with tequila and ice for a lychee margarita. Serve over ice with matcha or just on its own alongside a sandwich, pickle and potato chips for lunch. You know what I mean?

The sweetness level is pretty standard for a classic lemonade. If you prefer less sweet, follow my directions in the recipe to half the amount of sugar and water. It won’t make it tart, the sweetness will still be there, just less of it.

Makes about 1L.

Ingredients:

500g, 2 cups, lychees canned in syrup with the liquid

250g, 1 cup, freshly squeezed lemon juice, from about 5 lemons

125g, 1/2 cup, granulated sugar (if you prefer less sweetness use half this amount of sugar)

125g, 1/2 cup, water (if doing half the amount of sugar, half this too)

Method:

Prep lemon juice: slice lemons in half and squeeze the lemons using a citrus juicer, or just your hands, into a measuring jug until you get 1 cup, or 250ml, of lemon juice. Using a fine mesh strainer, pour lemon juice into a blender, straining out the seeds and discarding them.

Make sugar syrup: add sugar and water to a small pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the sugar has completely dissolved and it resembles a thin syrup.

Blend: add lychees with the liquid, lemon juice and sugar syrup to a high speed blender and blend until smooth and all the lychees have blended through.

Strain using a nut milk bag or cheesecloth. Bottle and keep in the fridge.