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Mint Lemonade (Limonana)
The Levant's beloved limonana: lemons blended whole-heartedly with fresh mint, sugar and ice until the jug turns pale green and frothy. A whisper of orange blossom water makes it taste like a Beirut café at sunset.
Drinks · Arab / Levant · Ready in 10 minutes · Serves 4
Mint Lemonade (Limonana) comes from Arab / Levant and belongs on the drinks table. The quantities below are written for 4 servings and scale cleanly: double them for a family iftar or halve them for a quiet suhoor for two, keeping the proportions — and especially the seasoning — in the same balance. It is tagged no-cook, refreshing, blender.
Hydration is the quiet work of Ramadan evenings, and a proper Ramadan drink does more than quench thirst: it restores, refreshes and gives the table something festive between Maghrib and taraweeh. Serve it cold, in generous glasses, and keep a jug ready for refills.
Timing matters in a Ramadan kitchen, and this recipe asks for 10 minutes from start to finish. That makes it a genuine last-minute option: you can begin after the Maghrib adhan is close, or at suhoor when every extra minute of sleep counts, and still sit down on time. For a gathering, multiply every quantity by the number of guests divided by 4, round spices down very slightly on large batches, and taste before serving — big pots season differently from small ones.
Make the drink ahead and chill it thoroughly — a Ramadan drink served merely cool is a disappointment on a fasting table. Stir before pouring, taste for sweetness after chilling (cold dulls sweetness slightly), and set out extra glasses: drinks disappear faster than any dish at iftar. Anything remaining keeps a day in the fridge, covered.
Ingredients
- 4 piece lemons
- 30 g fresh mint
- 80 g sugar
- 800 ml cold water
- 8 piece ice cubes
- 0.5 tsp orange blossom water
Method
- Roll the lemons firmly on the counter to release their juice, then cut them into quarters.
- Add the lemon pieces, mint leaves, sugar and half the water to a blender.
- Blend in short bursts — about 20 seconds total — just until the mint is finely flecked; over-blending turns it bitter.
- Strain into a jug, pressing the pulp, and stir in the remaining water and the orange blossom water.
- Serve over plenty of ice with a small mint sprig in each glass.
Tips
- Freeze the lemonade in ice-cube trays; the cubes flavour water beautifully the next day.
- For a sparkling version, replace half the water with soda water added at the very end.