Israel’s stellar contribution to frosty summer beverages is called Limonana. This drink has become the look and flavor of summer in Israel and it’s sold in every cafe and restaurant. Basically it’s icy lemonade with crushed mint in it (Nana is mint in Hebrew). Sounds simple, but somehow, it’s not.

After having Limonana in almost every city in Israel and numerous cafes, I came home determined to make it myself. I took out my blender and searched the internet for recipes. It’s not that complicated - Lemons, mint, ice, sugar. Some recipes called for sprite, some for seltzer. Some had me getting lemonade concentrate, and some had me squeezing fresh lemons (I did that once). No matter what I did, I couldn’t get it to taste exactly right.

There are two conclusions to be drawn from this: 1. Something about Israel itself contributes to the awesome refreshingness of drinking an icy limonana on a hot day. 2. I therefore need to go back to Israel.

If you want to try to make some yourself, here is a recipe. I hope you have better luck than I did!

How To Make Limonana At Home:

• Blend 2 Cups of Ice
• 1 Cup of fresh lemon juice (from 4 large lemons)
• ½ Cup of mint leaves
• 4 Tablespoons of sugar

This recipe makes about 4 cups