Cajun lemonade is the epitome of some of New Orleans’s most iconic flavors. Sugar, one of the most valuable commodities that ran through the port of New Orleans throughout the 17th to the 20th century, oftentimes went straight to rum distilleries across the American south and the island of Haiti. Combine those flavors with fresh, zesty lemon juice, some bubble for lift, and a dash of spicy hot sauce, and you got the ingredients for a refreshing party.
Ingredients
½ a cup of water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 jigger fresh lemon juice
1 jigger spiced rum
Club soda
A dash of hot sauce (optional)
Ice
Instructions
- Make the cocktail syrup by heating the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar has fully melted into the water. Transfer it to a jar and store it for later use.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice then add the syrup, lemon juice, spiced rum, and the optional hot sauce. Shake vigorously then strain the drink into a glass filled with ice and garnished with fresh lemon. As a garnish, you can use lemon wedges, lemon slices, or just a squeezed lemon peel.
