Liquid Lemony Goodness

Lemons are in my head these days. With Spring and Easter and Passover....I feel like surrounding myself with lemons.

Tarragon Lemonade

(from Food&Wine)

Ingredients
10 cups water
2 1/4 cups sugar
17 tarragon sprigs
6 cups fresh lemon juice, strained (from about 40 lemons), plus 12 thin lemon slices for garnish
Salt
Ice

Directions
In a medium saucepan, combine 4 cups of water with the sugar and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer over moderately high heat until reduced to 3 1/4 cups, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 5 of the tarragon sprigs. Let stand, stirring often, until cooled to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Discard the tarragon sprigs.

In a large glass pitcher, combine the remaining 6 cups of water with the tarragon syrup and fresh lemon juice. Add a pinch of salt, stirring until it dissolves. Serve the tarragon lemonade over ice, garnished with the lemon slices and the remaining 12 tarragon sprigs.

~OR~


Lavender Lemonade

Ingredients
3-1/2 cups water
1 cup sugar

5 fresh lavender flower heads, or 1-1/2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender

2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained

4 springs fresh lavender, for garnish

Directions
Combine 1 cup of water with the sugar in a medium saucepan over a hot flame and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the remaining 2-1/2 cups water and the fresh or dried lavender and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. (If using dried lavender, put it in a tea ball.) Remove from the heat and let the mixture steep for 20 minutes, or until it has a light lavender taste. 

Strain the mixture into a pitcher or jar, and stir in the lemon juice. Refrigerate until it is cold.

To serve, pour the lemonade over a glass of ice and garnish with a sprig of fresh lavender.

I see no reason why you couldn't spike either recipe with some favorite spirit, maybe Vodka, St-Germaine, or even a Rye or a Bourbon for the adult version.