Lime Oncello Spritzers With Mint Food

LEMON MINT SPRITZER

Steps:

• Cut lemons into wedges and squeeze the juice into a large pitcher. Stir in the lemonade concentrate, confectioners' sugar and mint; add lemon wedges. Chill until serving., Just before serving, stir in carbonated water. Serve over ice.

LIMONCELLO LEMON SORBET (WITH OR WITHOUT MINT)

Steps:

• Combine 1 cup water, sugar, and fresh mint leaves in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a light boil, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in lemon zest. Let syrup cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Mix remaining 1 1/2 cup water, lemon juice, and limoncello liqueur into syrup.
• Pour mixture into an ice cream maker; churn according to manufacturer's instructions, 10 to 15 minutes. Freeze until firm, about 6 hours.

LIMONCELLO SPRITZER

Steps:

• Place ice in a wine glass. Squeeze lemon wedge over ice; drop lemon into the glass. Pour the club soda, vodka and limoncello into the glass; stir.

GIADA'S LIMONCELLO MINT SPRITZERS

Steps:

• Coarsely crush the ice cubes, then fill 4 tall skinny drink glasses halfway full with the ice.
• Add 1/4 cup mint leaves to each glass and, using a muddle stick or the handle of a wooden spoon, crush the mint leaves together with the ice (this is called "muddling").
• Add 1/2 cup limoncello to each glass, and stir.
• Add 1/4 cup of club soda to the top of each drink, and serve.
• Note: on the show, Giada made her own limoncello from limes rather than from lemon, vodka, and simple syrup, with a week or marinating; if you can find a lime-based limoncello in the store, wonderful (we've only made it ourselves at home) - but otherwise you can use conventional limoncello.
• Also, you could quarter a lime and put each quarter on the edge of the glasses, so that guests could add a squeeze of lime juice into their spritzer.

LYCHEE-MINT SPRITZERS

Steps:

• Muddle 8 mint leaves with 2 teaspoons sugar in a cocktail shaker. Add 4 canned lychees, 1/4 cup syrup from the can, 3 ounces vodka and a squeeze of lime juice; shake with ice. Strain into 2 ice-filled glasses; top with seltzer. Repeat to make more drinks. Garnish with mint and lime.

LIMONCELLO SPRITZ

Steps:

• Chill Prosecco, limoncello, and soda water. Place glasses in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before using.
• Pour sugar onto a small plate or saucer and spread out. Run lemon slice around the edge of each glass. Turn a glass upside down and place into the sugar, coating just the rim of each glass.
• Fill each glass about 1/2 full with ice.
• Pour 1/4 cup limoncello over the ice in each glass, and top with 1/3 cup Prosecco. Add chilled soda water to taste and gently stir.
• Garnish with lemon slices and fresh mint sprigs. Serve ice cold.

LIME-ONCELLO SPRITZERS WITH MINT

Steps:

• To make limoncello:
• Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the limes in long strips (reserve the limes for another use).
• Place the lime peels in a 1-quart jar.
• Pour the vodka over the peels and screw on the lid.
• Steep the lime peels in the vodka for 1 week at room temperature.
• Stir the sugar and water in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
• Cool completely, then stir in the vodka mixture.
• Strain the liquids into bottles, pressing on the peels to extract as much liquid as possible.
• Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 month.
• To make spritzers:
• Fill 4 tall glasses halfway with ice.
• Add the mint leaves.
• Using the handle of a wooden spoon, coarsely crush the mint leaves into the ice.
• Pour some limoncello over, and stir to blend.
• Add a splash of club soda and serve.

LIMONCELLO AND MINT SPARKLERS

Steps:

• Combine mint and limoncello in a bowl, then gently bruise mint with a pestle or wooden spoon (to release flavor). Chill, covered, 1 hour.
• Pour limoncello through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher, pressing firmly on mint and then discarding it.
• Just before serving, stir in lemon juice, sparkling water, and enough ice to fill pitcher.