There is a café in the chic ABC mall in Beirut called Casper and Gambini; this is where I tried this mint-lemonade for the first time on a hot sweltering day. It came in semi-frozen form like a margarita and the combined taste of fresh mint and fresh lemons was so cool and tangy and refreshing! I had to get their recipe. Well, that did not happen so I came up with my own.
Here it is: this morning I drank the entire batch.
INGREDIENTS:
- 6 ounces of lemon juice
- sugar syrup: 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water
- 2 bunches of mint (can reduce to one bunch only)
- ice cubes, as needed
- 1 1/2 cups of water
- powdered sugar as needed
METHOD:
- First make the syrup by placing granulated sugar and water in a pan and heating the mixture till it dissolves.
- Juice enough lemons to get about 6 ounces.
- Wash one or two bunches of mint and cut off the leaves from the stalks.
- Place syrup, lemon juice, ice cubes (several, I used about 8), mint in a blender
- Run the machine until the mixture is smooth and looks like a frozen slush; taste for sweetness adding one tablespoon or more of powdered sugar if needed. Serve
46 Comments
Oh yummy and refreshing! Beautiful photos Joumana
looks so refreshing..love that lime green color…lovely…perfect for these hot summer days out here…
Looks refreshingly delicious!
And I loooooooove Casper & Gambinis. Try out their sticky date pudding next time – it’s to die for!
Oh wow! I love iced mint tea, but this looks even better! My mint is plentiful right now so I’ll have to give this a try!
Wow, that looks SO beautiful and thirst quenching!
Tomorrow here the temperature will climb to 38 degrees Celcius. This lemonade is ideal for such a hot day. It looks very refreshing.
Mint, lemon, ice, sugar….. All thats missing is the rum…
I love the sound of this drink. it certainly looks so refreshing. The colour just pops right out at you. Im sure the impact of the flavour is just as strong as the visual aspect. Gorgeous. Unfortunately it is not hot in london, but it doesnt mean we cant enjoy this drink…. Loving it….
Love anything with lemons.. this lemonade looks sooo refreshing. Thanks
That looks like the perfect way to cool down in the heat…even the vibrant green looks cool!
Great idea! It looks soooo good! We love making lemonade at home and I am sure the mint will suffice my family’s drink choice palate.
I’ve never seen a mint lemonade quite like this one. No wonder you drank the entire batch — it looks gorgeous and so refreshing!
Oh my goodness, that looks and sounds lovely. Perfect for beating the sweltering summer heat.
Yum! So refreshing. I have been totally into lemonade this summer – strawberry lemonade, watermellon lemonade… now I have to try it with mint!
What a refreshing way to celebrate Summer…beautiful pictures Joumana!
Oh Joumana, you just made my day with this GORGEOUS drink!! I LOVE the flavors you’ve combined and can’t wait to try it.
I’m just waiting for another hot day – cold and rainy this afternoon. 
We are expecting hot weather this week and this will be a great way to cool off.
Mimi
That sounds absolutely delightful and refreshing. The beautiful, green color is even cooling to the eyes.
Your lemonade looks great! Perfect during the summer!
This sounds really good and refreshing! My mint is going good right now! My lemons should be ready in a few months, then I need to find many ways to use lemons. I want to try this now! I bet it would be good in limeade too!
I would drink the entire batch too – it looks so delicious and incredibly refreshing!
This must be so so refreshing.
oh wow this looks amazing
Gorgeous colour ! Must be good with limes too.
oh my, looks delish, a first class thirst quencher
Looks lovely and incredibly cooling! Wish it was hotter here – I’d whip some of this up right now. My mint plant is out of control!
Wow…this looks so refreshing and healthy. Thanks for sharing. I’ll drink the whole jug too
I would not have thought to put mint and lemon together but it sounds so refreshing! Like a lemon version of a mojito!
A lovely glass of freshness! It is the opposite of what I need right now but will hopefully remember to refresh (ho ho) my memory of it when summer hits us down here
Absolutely go green recipe! Very refreshing for summer and the fresh bubbles makes it more tempting!
Perfect drink to quench the thirst…lovely one…
That looks really pretty, although I don’t think my kids are going to dig this one, lol! They’re okay with green bits (mint leaves actually) floating around their glass of lemonade but a really green one? I think that will take them a lot of time of getting used to. It’ll be perfect for hubby and I, that’s for sure.
As for the kids, I’d probably make a watermelon lemonade for them, it got a really pretty color. 
What a beautiful and refreshing beverage. This sounds absolutely delightful to have in hand on a hot summer’s afternoon. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings…Mary
Joumana, THAT looks amazing, and I plan to make it ASAP! In the meantime, I’m trying to pull together dinner, and was trying to click on the link for the traditional tabouleh recipe from your post about National Tabouleh Day–but the link doesn’t work. Also couldn’t find that particular recipe by using the search function. Do you have any suggestions?
@Tammy: the spelling was the problem and I fixed it, sorry about that!
/www.tasteofbeirut.com/2009/01/tabouleh-salad/
Une limonade bien fraiche . Facile à faire en plus.
Elle doit être délicieuse.
A bientôt.
what a completely refreshing and invigorating drink!
Wow, does that drink look so refreshing!! I wish I could just reach right into my computer screen.
I WANT!
Not my thing (it having mint in it and all), but I am sure Nicole would love it!
I cannot wait to try this in my Thermomix. Thank you for the idea – so simple – yet soooo appealing….!!!!
XO
I discovered this wonderful drink just this past month at the Riviera beach club. That lemonade was so refreshing and yummy that I had to find the recipe and make it myself. I’m actually drinking it as I type. With ever sip I am transported back to that hot and sunny day I spent hanging out at the Riviera pool with my husband and a couple of girlfriends. I miss vacation and I miss Beirut.
Thank you for the recipe : )
Came here Googling for a mint lemonade. and this looks just the right for my get together next week. Thanks for the recipe. Lovely being here.
Glad to have found you!
Question from Roumania: couldn’t it be sweetened with honey instead of powdered sugar?
@VictorCh: Honey or any sweetener you like!
I tried this, it tastes perfect, but mine did not look like yours. Yours, and the ones in Beirut and Amman, are very green and stay green while drinking. In mine, the mint soon floated to the top, leaving the (mint flavored) lemonade below. Do you know how to solve this problem? Thanks!
@Carel: Did you place ice-cubes in there? I did not keep this lemonade long enough to see if the mint separates. I am planning this week to make more mint lemonade with the mint in my patio and I will check it and let you know. There is another option, which is to make a mint syrup and then mix it with the lemonade. It takes longer, though, because the mint leaves have to soak overnight and the liquid gets a few drops of green food coloring. Let me know if you are interested and I will pass on the recipe for the mint syrup.