Name: Brood and Barleys Sweet Potato Lemonade Recipe
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cups medium sweet potatoes (peeled and diced); 1 cups water; 1 cups granulated sugar; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 0.5 tsp vanilla extract (optional); 0.75 cups fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons); 2 cups cold water; 2 cups ice; 4 to taste lemon slices (for garnish); 8 oz Rock Town Vodka (or vodka of choice); 6 tbsp sweet potato syrup (from above); 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon (for dusting); 4 leaves fresh mint (optional, for garnish)

Method

Sweet Potato Syrup

Cook sweet potato

Place the diced sweet potato and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cover and cook 10–12 minutes until potatoes are very tender.

Make syrup

Use a slotted spoon to transfer about 3/4 of the cooked sweet potato pieces to a blender (reserve any remaining pieces for texture or discard). Add the 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid to the blender. Blend until very smooth, about 30–45 seconds.

Strain and finish

Pour the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean jar, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Stir in 1 tsp ground cinnamon and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional). If syrup is too thick, add up to 2 tablespoons warm water to reach pourable syrup consistency. Chill before using; syrup will keep refrigerated in a sealed jar for up to 7 days.

Lemonade Base

In a pitcher combine 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice with 2 cups cold water. Stir until combined. Add ice to the pitcher or to individual serving glasses when ready to assemble. Adjust sweetness or dilution by adding extra water or syrup to taste; the sweet potato syrup will be added later to sweeten and flavor the cocktail.

Cocktail Assembly

Build cocktails (makes 4 servings)

Fill four tall glasses with ice (about 1/2 cup ice each). Divide the chilled lemonade base among the glasses, about 1/2 cup lemonade per glass. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine 2 oz (56 ml) Rock Town Vodka and 1.5 tbsp sweet potato syrup for each serving (total 8 oz vodka and 6 tbsp syrup for four). Shake briefly (8–10 seconds) until chilled.

Combine and finish

Strain the shaken vodka + syrup mixture evenly into the lemonade-filled glasses (about 2 oz per glass). Stir gently to combine. Lightly dust each glass with a pinch of ground cinnamon (about 1/64 tsp per glass). Garnish with a lemon slice and a sprig of mint if desired.

Serve immediately and enjoy. Taste and adjust: if you prefer sweeter or more pronounced sweet potato flavor, add an additional 1/2–1 tbsp syrup per glass; for a brighter lemon profile, add a splash more lemon juice.