Ingredients
- 8 (fresh or canned) Lychee Fruit
- 2 ounces (equal parts sugar + water)* Simple Syrup
- 4 ounces Gin
- 2 ounces Tonic Water
- handful Ice Cubes
Simple Syrup*
- 0.25 cup Water
- 0.25 cup Sugar
Directions
Sweet, refreshing and boozy sparkling lychee cocktail!
If you follow me on Instagram, you know that we purchased our first house in 2020 and our property has a giant lychee tree!
The first harvest was plentiful and because I’ve always loved tropical fruits, I was beyond excited.
The lychee fruits, also known as Litchi chinensis, is native to Southeast Asia.
Lychee is of local importance throughout much of Southeast Asia and is grown commercially in China and India. Its introduction into the Western world came when it reached Jamaica in 1775.
At some point people brought seeds to other countries and one was planted in my backyard during the 1950s!
There are over 20 varieties of lychee fruit and the one we have here is called the sweetheart lychee.
Sweetheart lychee is one of the sweetest and most aromatic varieties, with very low tartness and a strong floral/rosy flavor. The seeds are often small, giving this fruit a big burst of flavor.
My preferred hard alcohol is gin however, this cocktail works well with vodka or tequila!
This sparkling lychee cocktail recipe is so easy to make and has just 4 ingredients.
If you cannot find fresh lychee, use canned but omit the simple syrup as the canned lychee are already stored in a sweet syrup.
For an added color, I am using an aromatic tonic water but you can use any tonic or sparkling for this drink.
Steps
1 Done | Make The Simple SyrupHeat the water in a small sauce pan and add the sugar. Allow to gently simmer and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Pour into a jar and allow to cool. |
2 Done | Make The CocktailStart by adding the lychee fruit to a tall glass then muddle the fruit to release as much of its juices as possible. Next, fill your cocktail glasses with ice cubes then add the 2 ounces of lychee juice to each glass followed by 1 ounce of the simple syrup. 2 ounces of gin (or your preferred hard alcohol) and top it off with tonic or sparkling water. Serve with a straw and lychee fruit. Enjoy responsibly. |
