This Is The Perfect Lemonade, According To Andrew Zimmern
What would the spring and summer months be like without a beverage that is equally light, refreshing, and breezy? According to Forgotten History, lemonade has been around for quite some time. The publication notes that something similar to lemonade can be traced back to medieval Egypt through the writings of a Persian poet who wrote about a drink called qatarmizat. This drink was described to be made with squeezed lemon juice and sugarcane.
Since then, lemonade's popularity grew and can now be found everywhere — from the baseball stadium concession stands to the small summer kiosks of entrepreneurial children in the suburbs. Lemonade is as easy to make as it is delicious, something that famed chef and TV personality Andrew Zimmern fully understands. But, in true chef and foodie style, Zimmern's perfect lemonade has a few notable additions that up the wow factor on this classic drink and will leave you never wanting a plain lemonade ever again.
Zimmern's perfect lemonade includes basil and mint
In a tweet shared on his personal account, the Bizarre Foods: Delicious Destinations host revealed that his ideal version of the refreshing lemonade includes a "handful of basil and mint leaves" with the addition of simple syrup and fresh lemonade. The What's Eating America host shares that this is his favorite drink to pair with his ballpark chicken wing recipe, per a video posted on his Youtube channel.
Not only is homemade lemonade that much more delicious with the addition of the "equal parts" basil and mint, but Zimmern's version is also a frozen drink, as the chef likes to add ice cubes into the mix. In the video, he notes that it is important that everyone blend the ingredients well to ensure that the basil and mint leaves are perfectly dissolved. He reveals that he likes to keep a bottle of homemade simple syrup at home as he enjoys having iced coffee throughout the year (he's from Minnesota) and notes that simple syrup is the best way to have dissolved sugar available at the house.