Drunken Lilikoi Lemonade

Lilikoi is the star in this drink! Lilikoi (passion fruit) loves to grow in Hawaii – like so many other things. We had a vine in Florida, but the squirrels loved the flowers so much that we never got any fruit so I didn’t even know what the fruit looked like until we moved to the Big Island! It is tangy and as my neighbor Linda puts it “it’s the nectar of the Gods.” She grows her lilikoi on a trellis above her kitchen window and just reaches out and picks what she wants. She gave me a sack full since my vines are not producing that quantity yet. The blossom is incredibly beautiful! Lilikoi is such a distinctive flavor so I’m not sure if there is a substitute, but it is available on Amazon! Worth every penny!!! Here is the recipe for the juice if you can get fresh lilikoi:

Lilikoi Juice

Ingredients

• 6 lilikoi

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 3/4 cup water

Instructions

Cut the lilikoi in half and scrape the insides (seeds and all) in to a pot. Add sugar and water and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. After it has cooled, puree mixture in a food processor (I use my Ninja) and strain through a nut bag or cheese cloth. It is super concentrated so use sparingly!

Now that you have some delicious lilikoi juice, time to make it into a refreshing drink!

Drunken Lilikoi Lemonade

Ingredients

• 1 cup of Lemonade

• 2 shots Lilikoi juice

• 1 shot simple syrup

• 2 shots Drunken Pineapple Vodka

Instructions

Mix all ingredients and pour over ice in a tall glass. The lemonade and the lilikoi can be very tart, so you might have to adjust the simple syrup to taste. For a light summer drink, use only have the mixture in a tall glass and fill the rest with seltzer water.