Rum Lemonade

While you're enjoying the last few weeks of summer, it's not too late to squeeze in a late-summer cocktail. I had a strong lemonade craving a few days ago and decided that I wanted to enjoy it in a cocktail format. After looking through a variety of recipes that involved a larger expanse of alcohol than our modest collection, I decided to settle for something simple: a rum lemonade. The only alcohol required was rum, which is one of the few we have on hand at the moment. So we went to the store, picked up some lemons, and got to squeezing them! We already had the mint simple syrup in the fridge, so the only work that was necessary was to squeeze the lemons, which if we had wanted, we could've just bought pre-made lemonade. But you know us--we love to make everything from scratch! This drink was refreshing and the rum flavor has dulled the longer it sits in the fridge, which actually has allowed the drink to become sweeter and lighter. Simple, easy, and easy to sip on as we soak up the last traces of summer sun and warmth!





Rum Lemonade
1/2 cup mint simple syrup*
1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
4 cups water
1 cup dark rum

Squeeze 1 cup worth of lemon juice from 4-5 lemons. Pour simple syrup, then lemon juice, then 4 cups water into a pitcher. Stir and taste test, adjusting with sugar or lemon as needed. Then add 1 cup rum and taste again. Chill and serve over ice!

Recipe Inspiration: The Kitchn: Classic Lemonade and Food Network: Rum Lemonade

*Mint Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup fresh chopped mint leaves

Combine sugar and water in a pot, allowing to simmer over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the mint leaves and submerge in syrup, remove from heat, and allow mixture to steep for at least half an hour before straining.