Homemade Lemon Simple Syrup for a Refreshing Quarantine Cocktail
With the nice weather that has been happening lately I have been itching to sip on a refreshing cocktail in the backyard and soak up the sun. With our lemon tree so full I got the idea to make a lemon simple syrup cocktail and pair it with Ketel One Cucumber & Mint vodka and add a little seltzer water for mouth feel 🙂 The results were absolutely refreshing!
I will walk you through the lemon simple syrup first!
Ingredients:
3 or 4 Lemons depending on size
1/2 cup of Sugar
Making simple syrup is super fun and very easy! This was my first time making a lemon simple syrup and I was very happy. You will want 3 or 4 lemons depending on their size and juiciness level.
Use a pairing knife to cut off some of the zest of the lemons. We are going to set this aside and use it a little bit later. Make sure that you are just cutting off the bright yellow zest and not the white pith as this part is bitter.
Cut each of the lemons in half. Once they are all halved, juice each of the halves until you have around 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice.
In a small pot or sauce pan, combine the 1/2 cup of lemon juice and the 1/2 cup of sugar. Bring this mixture to a boil on medium heat.
Once the mixture is boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Add the lemon zest and cook for around 10 minutes or until the syrup slightly thickens.
After the syrup is done cooking, let cool and transfer to a metal or reinforced glass bowl. Pour the mixture through a strainer or colander to catch the zest. We do not want it in our simple syrup.
Let the mixture cool for around 20 minutes. You now have lemon simple syrup! If you want to use the syrup while it is warm, now is the time or you can warm it back up if needed. Place in the fridge if you would like to serve cold. Now it is cocktail time!
Refreshing Cucumber Lemon & Mint Quarantine Cocktail
Ingredients:
1 cup of unflavored seltzer water (I made mine with a soda stream) 🙂
1 shot of Ketel One Cucumber & Mint
1 shot of Homemade Lemon Simple Syrup
2 Large ice cubes
2 Mint leaves for flavor and garnish
Add 1 cup of unflavored seltzer water to cocktail glass. Add 1 shot of homemade lemon simple syrup.
Add 1 shot of Ketel One Cucumber & Mint vodka. The ratio is 1 to 1 so add as many shots of each to create desired strength.
Add the two large ice cubes and the mint leaves and give the drink a nice stir to mix everything.
Time for the fun part! Hope you all enjoy this drink and send me pictures or tag me on Instagram if you decide to make it!
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