About this recipe

A refreshingly sweet and tangy Brazilian-inspired limeade made with fresh limes blended whole with sugarcane syrup and ice-cold water. The secret is blending the limes with their peel for just a few seconds — it releases fragrant, bitter-sweet oils from the rind that give this drink its signature depth. Served over ice, it's bright, tropical, and incredibly thirst-quenching.

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the sugarcane syrup: Combine the granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan over ^[medium heat]. Stir until the granulated sugar fully dissolves, about 3–4 minutes. Do not boil vigorously — just a gentle simmer. Remove from heat, stir in the sugarcane juice if using, and let cool to room temperature. You can speed this up by placing it in the fridge for 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Wash the limes thoroughly under running water, scrubbing the skin well — since you're blending the peel, clean skin is important. Trim and discard a thin slice from both ends of each lime (this removes the most bitter parts of the pith). Cut each lime into 8 wedges.

3. 3

   Add the lime wedges, ice-cold water, cooled sugarcane syrup, ice, and a pinch of salt to a blender. Blend on high for no more than 10–15 seconds. Over-blending extracts too much bitterness from the peel — a short burst is all you need to release those fragrant citrus oils.

4. 4

   Immediately pour the blended mixture through a fine mesh sieve set over a large pitcher (Large), pressing gently on the solids with a wooden spoon to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids. Do not press too hard or force the pulp through — keep it clean and bright.

5. 5

   Taste the limeade and adjust: add more sugarcane syrup if you'd like it sweeter, or a squeeze of fresh lime juice if you want more tartness. Stir well.

6. 6

   Fill tall glasses with fresh ice. Pour the limeade over the ice and garnish each glass with a lime wheel and a sprig of fresh mint, if desired. Serve immediately for the best flavor and color.