Brasileiro Fruit Drink

Ingredients

• 4lemons or oranges
• 100 gsugar
• 1 Lwater
• as neededice

Method

1. Start by selecting 4 fresh lemons or oranges. Roll each fruit on the countertop with your palm to loosen the juices inside. Cut them in half and use a citrus juicer to extract the juice into a medium-sized bowl. Aim for about 250 ml of juice, ensuring no seeds make their way into the juice.
2. In a small saucepan, combine 100 g of sugar with 250 ml of the extracted juice. Place the saucepan over low heat and stir gently until the sugar completely dissolves. This step helps to create a concentrated syrup that will enhance the drink's flavor.
3. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. This cooling step is crucial to prevent the syrup from melting the ice later on, which would dilute the drink's flavor.
4. In a large pitcher, combine the cooled syrup with 1 L of cold water. Stir gently to mix, ensuring that the syrup is evenly distributed throughout the water. This gentle mixing preserves the delicate citrus aroma.
5. Fill a serving glass with ice cubes, as needed, to chill the drink thoroughly. Pour the Brasileiro Fruit Drink over the ice, filling the glass to the brim. The ice will help maintain the drink's refreshing quality.
6. Serve the drink immediately in traditional glassware, if available, to honor the Brazilian tradition. The drink should have a balanced sweet and tart flavor, with a refreshing citrus aroma that invites sharing around the table.