Ingredients:
- 10 oz (300 g) Fresh Lychees, peeled and pitted
- ½ cup (100 g) Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) Water
- 8 large Fresh Mint Leaves, gently bruised
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) Lime Zest
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Lychee Syrup (Chilled, per serving)
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Fresh Lime Juice (Per serving)
- ½ - ¾ cup (120 - 180 ml) Sparkling Water (Per serving)
- Ice (As needed)
- Fresh mint sprigs and lime slices for garnish
Instructions:
- Prepare the Lychees: Peel and pit the fresh lychees.
- Combine Ingredients: In the saucepan, combine the water, sugar, pitted lychees, and lime zest. Stir gently until the sugar begins to dissolve.
- Simmer: Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat immediately and allow it to simmer softly for 5–7 minutes, just until the lychees soften slightly and the liquid has reduced slightly and thickened.
- Steep: Remove the pan from the heat. Add the 8 mint leaves, stir once, cover the pan, and allow the mixture to steep for 10 minutes to infuse the mint fragrance.
- Blend: Remove the mint leaves (to prevent bitterness). Carefully transfer the hot liquid and the cooked lychees to a blender. Blend until completely smooth (about 30–60 seconds).
- Strain: Pour the mixture through the fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl or container, pressing gently on the solids with a spatula to extract all the liquid. Discard the remaining pulp.
- Chill: Cover the syrup and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until thoroughly chilled.
- Prepare Glasses: Fill four highball glasses (or elegant tumblers) generously with ice.
- Measure Syrup and Acid: For each glass, pour in 60 ml (¼ cup) of the chilled lychee syrup and 15 ml (1 tablespoon) of fresh lime juice.
- Stir: Stir the syrup and lime juice briefly in the glass to combine.
- Top Up: Top the glass with 120–180 ml (½ to ¾ cup) of chilled sparkling water.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish each drink with fresh mint sprigs and a lime wheel. Serve immediately while fiercely cold.