Tory was probably so proud of me when I came up with these two grilled lemonade cocktail recipes. Derek was away for the weekend and I had just made some grilled lemonade. Somewhere along the line, I decided that I needed to spike them. Now, many people are sitting there and reading this thinking, “well, duh”. But I’m not really a big drinker so it’s not normally my first thought. But for whatever reason, here I am home alone and something drove me to make cocktails.
And because of who I am, I need to make variations. One cocktail wasn’t enough. Not because I wanted more to drink but because I suffer from major indecision when it comes to food and drinks. I mean the opportunity cost of choosing wrong is so high! We’re making Bourbon Grilled Lemonade and Grilled Lemonade Mojitos. If anyone can come up with a fancy name for either, I am all ears.
Here’s what you need:
I’m really only going to show you how to make the mojito, because the bourbon cocktail is literally just bourbon and lemonade with one of those fancy giant ice cubes. But oh. My. Gosh. The natural caramel and smoky notes pair perfectly with this lemonade.
The mojito though is just a little more complicated than pour and stir. I pulled some fresh mint from my garden – I think that’s what inspired me to try a mojito too. Slice of a little the charred bit of lemon before you squeeze it. Toss the lemon slice and a couple mint leaves into the bottom of a glass.
Now, muddle it together. This is a fancy cocktail term for mash it all up – either with a muddler or the handle end of a wooden spoon.
See all smashed up.
Add ice to the glass. Now add in an ounce of dark rum. I’m using Don Q Anejo that I fell in love with in Puerto Rico. The dark rum will have a those same caramel notes the bourbon has that compliment the lemonade. Fill up the glass to within about an inch to an inch and a half of the top with grilled lemonade. Top off with sparkling water. It’s up to you how fizzy you want it and how diluted the lemonade. Play with the ratio until it makes you happy.
Garnish with mint and a lemon slice.
And now the most important part. Sit back. Sip some spiked lemonade and let me know which one you like better. Fair warning if you make these, because I don’t drink much – I am a bit of a light-weight when it comes to drinking. So if you don’t judge me for being a cheap date, I promise not to judge you if you want a heavier pour than I used here.
- Grilled Lemonade Bourbon Cocktail
- 1 oz bourbon
- Grilled Lemonade
- Large ice cubes
- Grilled Lemonade Mojito
- Grilled lemon slice, with the grill marks
- Mint leaves
- 1 oz dark rum
- Sparkling water
- Grilled lemonade
- Bourbon Cocktail:
- In a low ball glass, pour rum over ice. Add lemonade to fill glass. Stir and enjoy.
- Mojito:
- Add a lemon slice and a couple mint leaves to the bottom of a glass.
- Using the back of a wood spoon or a muddler if you have one, smash up the lemon and the mint leaves. This gets the juice out of the lemon and some extra caramel flavors and releases the oils in the mint leaves.
- Add ice. Pour in 1 oz of rum. Fill to within about an inch of the top with lemonade. Top with sparking water and stir.
I found this recipe after some research. I appreciate your time and effort.