Lebanese Mint Lemonade (Limonana)

This Lebanese mint lemonade, also known as limonana, is the best mint lemonade you will ever have. And that's because it's made using a traditional Lebanese method of macerating the lemons, resulting in an extra delicious mint lemonade. This recipe makes the ultimate, refreshing summer drink, so get ready to make a big batch!

Mint lemonade is a very popular drink in Lebanon. You'll find it at almost any café or restaurant there. They don't skimp on the fresh mint, so you really get a delicious, flavor packed minty lemonade.

For many, mint lemonade is know as limonana, a combination of the Arabic words limon and nana which mean lemon and mint, respectively. Limonana is common across the Levantine region and many families make theirs differently.

Today I'm sharing with you the traditional way mint lemonade is made in Lebanon. This method is very popular in the northern coastal city of Batroun. They are famous for their delicious lemonade and for good reason!

If you're feeling more simple, be sure to check out my classic Lebanese lemonade recipe. And if you're feeling indulgent, you don't want to miss my Lebanese avocado and strawberry cocktail.

Ingredients

• Fresh lemons: Since we will be using the entire lemon, I recommend buying organic lemons.
• Sugar
• Water
• Orange blossom water: It is traditional in Lebanese mint lemonade and adds a subtle yet beautiful floral flavor.
• Rose water: This is optional but also very delicious if you enjoy floral notes.
• Fresh mint

Prepare the Base for Lebanese Mint Lemonade

Wash all the lemons then roll them on a hard surface until they become soft and squishy. This will help them release more juice.

Then cut all the lemons into slices or quarters and measure out your sugar.

Grab a large bowl, sprinkle some sugar on the bottom, place the lemon slices in a single layer to cover the bottom of the bowl, then sprinkle some sugar all over the lemon slices.

Continue adding layers of lemon slices and covering them with sugar, until you've used up all your lemon slices and sugar.

If you choose to quarter your lemons, you can simply dump all the sugar on top and mix them well until fully coated with sugar.

Using a muddler, masher, or even a wooden spoon, press down on the lemons to squeeze some of their juices out and gently stir them to mix the sugar with the lemon juice.

Set the bowl aside for at least 30 minutes or ideally up to a 24 hours in the fridge. Occasionally, mash the lemons and stir the released juices with the sugar.

Eventually, the sugar will completely dissolve and you will be left with a concentrated lemony syrup. Strain the lemon syrup and squeeze any remaining juice from the lemons using a citrus squeezer, your hands, or by pressing them against the strainer.

You should be left with about two cups of the lemon syrup. This is only lemon juice and sugar, no water yet!

The strained lemons are still packed with flavor, so I like to place them back in the bowl, add water to them, and give them another quick mash and stir. The water will turn into a lighter lemon syrup.

Strain the lemons again and add the new liquid to the first batch of lemon syrup. At this point you can discard the spent lemons.

You can skip this step and add plain water to the concentrate, but this additional step packs in a lot more flavor and I highly recommend it. You can see in the photo how the water turned yellow. It even tasted like lemonade so it would be a waste to skip this step in my opinion.

By now you should have a little over 4 cups of a lightly diluted lemon syrup. (That's from combining the two cups of concentrated lemon syrup with the two cups of water that you mashed the spent lemons with.)

You have two options here. For later use, store the lemon syrup in the fridge and make individual servings of mint lemonade whenever needed. Or use it all now to make a big pitcher of Lebanese mint lemonade.

Final Steps

To make one glass of Lebanese mint lemonade, grab a blender jar and to it add half a cup of lemon syrup, a quarter cup of water, several mint leaves, a quarter teaspoon of orange blossom water, and a splash of rose water.

Blend it on high speed until the mint becomes very fine and the mint lemonade turns green. Give it a taste and adjust the ingredients to your liking. You will likely need to water it down more unless you like a pretty strong mint lemonade like my family does.

If you want to add more orange blossom water and/or rose water, do so carefully as it can quickly overpower the whole drink and become bitter.

Serve the mint lemonade over lots of ice in a tall glass and enjoy immediately.

To make a pitcher of Lebanese mint lemonade, to the blender jar add all of the lemon syrup, two cups of water, one tablespoon of orange blossom water, half a tablespoon of rose water, and one cup of packed fresh mint leaves.

Blend everything on high speed until the mint becomes very fine and the mint lemonade turns green. Taste it and water it down or adjust the other ingredients as needed.

Pour the mint lemonade into a pitcher filled with ice and enjoy the very best Lebanese mint lemonade at home! It's tangy, sweet, floral, and beyond refreshing!

If you don't want little bits of mint in your mint lemonade, all you have to do is strain it before serving. Garnish with lemon slices and fresh mint leaves if desired.

SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS

This recipe is naturally vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

• Sugar: Granulated sugar is best for traditional Lebanese mint lemonade in order to macerate the lemons. I have not tested this recipe with other sweeteners, but if you prefer natural sweeteners, try using ones that are granulated and not liquid.
• Orange blossom water and rose water: You can find them at any Middle Eastern store or even online (linked in the recipe). If you don't have access to them, you can completely omit them and you'll still have a delicious Lebanese mint lemonade.
• Orange juice: For a little more sweetness and delicious flavor, add the juice of one large orange to the mint lemonade.
• Sparkling mint lemonade: Instead of regular water, add sparkling water for a fun twist.
• Spike it: make it even more fun with a little bit of gin or vodka.

Tips To Make The Best Lebanese Mint Lemonade (Limonana)

• Use fresh, organic lemons. You'll need the best, juiciest lemons in order to make the best lemonade. Find a friend that has a lemon tree and ask them for some!
• Add lemon zest. If you love a bright pop of flavor, add some fresh lemon zest to the lemonade. Alternatively, cut a whole lemon into quarters or smaller, remove the seeds, and blend it with everything else.
• Make it to your taste. Some people like a tangier mint lemonade while others like it sweeter. My recipe has the ratio that we enjoy the most, but feel free to adjust it to your liking! Water it down, add more sugar, use only orange blossom water, add more mint, whatever works for you!

Frequently Asked Questions

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If you’ve tried making this Lebanese Mint Lemonade (Limonana) or any other recipe on Forks & Foliage, then please don't forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! I would be so happy to hear how it turned out for you. And if you took any photos or videos, please share them with me on Instagram @forksandfoliage so I can see the deliciousness you made!

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