Nothing says welcome to summer like lemonade, and nothing says welcome to summer weekends like spiked lemonade. When we got home from our honeymoon to beautiful 75 degree days, I was craving all the summer things, and when my local grocer had strawberries on sale, the cocktail Gods spoke to me.
Ok, so what makes this lemonade “decadent?” Two things. First, we’re using nice fresh strawberries, no from-concentrate strawberry lemonade up in here. Second, we’re adding Limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur.
Fun history lesson, the origins of Limoncello is shrouded in. Some say it came from monks, and others say it came from fishermen and their custom of drinking lemon liqueur in the mornings to keep colds and sickness away. Others still argue that it people didn’t really begin to drink it before 1988 when the Massimo Canale of Capri trademarked “Limoncello di Capri” and began making it in larger quantities. Either way, the delicious liqueur is made by taking the zest of lemons and steeping in rectified spirit, allowing the oils to be released. This is then mixed with simple syrup, producing a delicious lemony liqueur.
Recipe:
2 strawberries
4 ounces lemonade
1-1/2 ounces vodka
1-ounce limoncello
ice
lemons or strawberries, sliced for garnish
Directions: Dice the strawberries and place into a cocktail shaker with the limoncello. Muddle. Add lemonade, vodka, and ice and shake well. Pour into a glass and garnish with fresh fruit!
This is also a perfect drink for parties, here are the ratios to make a gallon-serving.
Party-serving size
4 cups of diced strawberries
64 ounces of lemonade
24 ounces of vodka
16 ounces of Limoncello
Enjoy!
