A refreshing cocktail: the Ouzo Lemonade

[WillTravelForFood]

When people hear "ouzo", they think "licorice. Blech".

I get it.

We *hate* licorice. Can't stand it. Never liked it, don't eat it. We use fennel / anise sparingly in our cooking because of our hatred for this flavor.

That being said -- after we discovered it, we find Ouzo Lemonade to be absolutely delightful. The sweet and citrus flavors cut back on the licorice taste significantly, resulting in a refreshing beverage that we've enjoyed for a while now.

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OUZO LEMONADE (per glass)

• 4 mint leaves
• 1 tsp honey (or appropriate amount of simple syrup, see commentary)
• 1-1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 2oz ouzo (we like that "12" brand Ouzo, but any will do)
• ice
• sparkling water

DIRECTIONS AND COMMENTARY

1. Crush or spank the mint leaves to get the mint oils flowing. you don't want to muddle it like you would a mojito, it'll be better to keep the pieces more whole than shredded/torn. You don't want mint parsley pieces in your teeth after a sip.
2. Combine the honey and lemon juice with the mint and mix.
3. Add the ouzo and shake/stir to combine
4. Add ice per personal preference to the mixture and shake/stir some more
5. HERE'S WHERE THINGS GET WEIRD --- we've found that honey and ice don't make for good friends, and you'll end up with clumps of honey+mint that just won't mix well. So you may want to heat the honey a bit in order to make a nice syrup....OR use simple syrup here instead of the honey. Practice makes perfect, and you'll see what works for you and what doesn't. Heck, maybe someone here has better advice on how to combine honey and ice in a cocktail.
6. Put the concoction into your desired glass, and top with sparkling water. We've been using Topo Chico LIME with great results, but have also used Perrier Lime. We've also tried tonic water and club soda as well, but like the Topo Chico (even unflavored) best for our personal taste

The flavor comes out like a minty-lemonade, with a hint of that ouzo flavor on the backend. Quite tasty for us, and easily sipped as a pre-dinner happy hour item.

[bbqLuv]

@"WillTravelForFood said, "We *hate* licorice. Can't stand it. Never liked it, don't eat it."
That sounds like a Sen-Sen to me.

Sen-Sen | OldTimeCandy.com

[Debra]

I loved Sen-Sen. Sad to see it gone.

[Draznnl]

I learned from experience that ouzo reacts with water and turns milky colored. Imagine my shock as the ice began to melt! Does the same thing happen in this lemonade?

[WillTravelForFood]

We've never noticed that. It might be due to fresh lemon juice not exactly being clear itself.