Hand Shaken Grilled Lemonade

Is there anything better than fresh lemonade on a warm Summer day? 

Steamboat Sandwiches, a local place that we go for lunch, makes THE BEST lemonade. They make it fresh.  I don't mean that they make it fresh each day.  They make it to order and shake it by hand.  

Steamboat Sandwiches decorated the exposed brick wall with ancient black and white pictures of buildings in Knoxville from years gone by.

They also make one hell of a sandwich.  They are called "Steamboat" because their housemade bread is more the size and shape of a steamboat than a sub. They are huge and the bread is light as air.  

You might be surprised to know that I usually get a Veggie.  I get enough meat at home and usually eat salads or veggie subs for lunch during the week.

During our visits, I have shigged carefully observed when they make my lemonade.  The only way to make it better?  I grill the lemons. Grilling the lemons intensifies the flavor and adds a slightly smoky flavor.

Hand Shaken Grilled Lemonade

Ingredients

• 2-3 lemon halves
• 5 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 cup ice
• distilled water

Instructions

1. Preheat a charcoal grill to 450°f (medium-high heat).
2. Lightly oil the grill grates and place lemons cut side down on the grill.  Grill until the cut side of the lemon starts to turn golden brown, 1-2 minutes.
3. Place grilled lemons in the fridge and let cool for an hour before using them.
4. Cut the lemon halves in half (so quartered if you're bad at math) and squeeze the juice from the lemons into a cocktail shaker. Add the peels, ice sugar, and just enough water to cover the ice.
5. Shake it, shake it, shake it like a polaroid picture for 15 seconds.
6. Pour into a pint glass and top off with cold water (if needed) and stir.

Grilling the lemons over hot coals on a Craycort cast iron grate.

 

Of course, it doesn't hurt to add some bourbon to the lemonade if you like!