Limonade Noire Recipe
Rosemary Infused Honey with Verjuice, Activated Charcoal stirred with Sparkling Mineral Water
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Ingredients
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Rosemary Honey Verjuice Concentrate
Limonade Noire (assembly)
Method
Rosemary Honey Verjuice Concentrate
- 1
Warm infusion
Place 1 cup honey in a small saucepan. Add 1 cup hot (not boiling) water to thin the honey slightly so it mixes evenly. Warm over low heat just until fluid and steaming (do not boil). Remove from heat.
- 2
Steep rosemary
Add 3 fresh rosemary sprigs to the warm honey-water mixture. Cover and let steep for 20–30 minutes to infuse aromatics. Taste after 20 minutes: if you want a stronger herbal note, steep up to 40 minutes.
- 3
Strain and combine with verjuice
Remove and discard rosemary sprigs. Stir in 1 cup verjuice and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice until homogeneous. If honey concentrated texture remains thick, warm briefly and stir to combine. Allow concentrate to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled (about 30–60 minutes) or use at room temp for faster assembly.
- 4
Yield and storage
This yields roughly 2 cups of concentrate. Store any leftover concentrate in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Limonade Noire (assembly)
- 5
Prepare glass (optional)
If you like a salted rim, rub a lemon wedge around the rim of each serving glass and dip into 1 teaspoon salt spread on a plate. Fill each glass with about 1 cup ice (adjust to glass size).
- 6
Pre-mix charcoal
In a small measuring cup or jar, combine 1 teaspoon food-grade activated charcoal powder with 2 tablespoons of the chilled rosemary-honey-verjuice concentrate. Whisk briskly until the charcoal is evenly suspended and there are no large clumps. (Charcoal can clump; pre-dispersing avoids gritty pockets.)
- 7
Assemble each serving
For each 12-oz serving glass: add 2 tablespoons of the concentrate (or more to taste) into the glass over the ice. Pour half of the pre-mixed charcoal-concentrate suspension into the glass so the drink appears dark and evenly colored. Slowly top with 12 oz chilled sparkling mineral water poured over the back of a spoon or down the side to preserve bubbles and help gentle mixing.
- 8
- 9
Proportions for multiple servings
The recipe as written makes two 12-oz servings: use 24 oz sparkling mineral water and 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) concentrate total. Adjust concentrate from 1 to 3 tablespoons per glass depending on sweetness and acidity preference. If serving more people, scale the concentrate and charcoal proportionally (1 tsp charcoal for every ~2 tablespoons concentrate).
- 10
Safety and notes
Use only food-grade activated charcoal and avoid consuming large quantities in one sitting. Charcoal can interfere with absorption of medications—do not serve to anyone on medication without medical advice. Expect black staining on some surfaces or clothing; rinse glassware promptly.