Brazilian Limeade

I first had Brazilian limeade at Fogo de Chao in Atlanta. If you love meat this is the place for you. It's literally an all you can eat steak house, but it's not just any old steak house. It's a churrascaria, which means all the meat is cooked in the Portugese style of churrasco, or in english terms barbeque. The servers carry around giant skewers of every cut of meat imaginable and you have your pick. It's seriously a carnivore's dream. 

Now the limeade comes in to play here because it's one of Fogo's most popular drinks. The fresh lime drink is bright and slightly creamy and is the absolute perfect balance to all the rich, salty meat. Limes are a flavor of summer and this drink is a great way to celebrate the end of the season (or if you live in the South like me you've got a good 2 months of summer left!) 

And in case you missed it, the Olympics are in full swing in Rio de Jainero, Brazil. I've always loved both the winter and summer Olympics, and my Daddy took me to see Track & Field at the 1996 games in Atlanta! At my house now, we have the TV on every night to catch what events we can. We of course love to cheer for Team USA (Go 'Merica!), but overall we just enjoy watching some good competition! One of the things that makes the Olympics so great is all the different countries coming together with respect and appreciation for each other's differences. So make this limeade and appreciate some delicious Brazilian culture!

Start by zesting 4 limes over the blender jar. It's important to do it this way because all the oils from the skin of the limes will go into the blender along with the rest of the ingredients, providing more flavor and fragrance.

Next, juice enough limes to get roughly 1 cup of juice. This took 6 to 7 smaller limes for me. 
Pour juice into blender along with other ingredients and blend for 10-15 seconds until frothy. It really is that simple.

There will be a large amount of froth at the top just like the head on a beer. You can drink it as is or wait for it to settle. I prefer to let it settle overnight and really let the flavor intensify. 

Always stir before serving to mix back in the settled lime juice. Pour over a large glass of ice and top with a slice of lime for garnish.

{makes roughly 5 cups/40oz}


INGREDIENTS
Zest of 4 limes
1 cup fresh lime juice
4 cups cold water
3 tbsp granulated sugar
3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Zest 4 limes directly into blender pitcher.

2) Juice enough limes to measure 1 cup of juice. (About 5-7 limes)

3) Add juice and rest of ingredients to blender (water, sugar, sweetened condensed milk).

4) Blend until frothy.

5) Either serve immediately for a frothier texture or refrigerate overnight to let the "frothy head" settle.

6) Always stir before pouring to mix in the lime zest ( it settles at the bottom) and serve over ice!