Many of our expat and even some of our Hungarian friends never cease to be amazed by Budapest’s versatile and wide selection of lemonades. Lemonade is taken to a different dimension here in Hungary’s capital. Don’t expect to be served just some lemony, sugary water or a manufactured soft drink; you can sample many creative and cooling flavours with various fruits, spices, maybe cucumber and even some with chili peppers!
For lovers of these creative drinks here are three high-class recipes from one of Budapest’s best cocktail bars, Boutiq’ Bar.
This mini-Mecca to the art of the cocktail is located at Paulay Ede street 5. Boutiq’ has been voted best cocktail bar in Hungary on several occasions, members of the team have won multiple domestic and international bartender competitions, and the bar has been selected as one of the best 50 bars in the world by Drinks International in 2012.
Enjoy this special selection, exclusively made for Expat Press readers, and a little bonus recipe to celebrate the recent arrival in Budapest by actor Ryan Gosling.
Spicy basil lemonade
8 pink peppercorns
6 fresh basil leaves
30ml fresh lemon juice
15ml sugar syrup
Crush the ingredients and put the mixture in a shaker.
Shake well and filter the mixture on ice. Pour 150 ml soda water on top.
Decorate the cocktail with lemon, basil and some pink peppercorn.
Bram Collins
40ml Beefeater
20ml lime juice
10ml sugar syrup
15ml cassis
Pour the ingredients in a long drink glass on some crushed ice.
Stir the drink gently and top it up with soda water.
Decoration: blackberry and mint leaves.
Zwack &Rose
40ml Unicum plum
20ml lime juice
20ml sugar syrup
Top Fentimans Rose Lemonade
Pour the ingredients in a long drink glass on some crushed ice.
Stir the drink gently and top it up with Top Fentimans Rose Lemonade.
Decoration: edible flowers or edible flower petals
Ryan Gosling’s
If you’d like to try this special cocktail, which was created especially to celebrate the A-list actor’s visit to Budapest then pay Boutiq’ a visit.
The lemonades can easily be made at home but this one is more for real cocktail geeks and we highly recommend to let the speakeasy experts at Boutiq’ mix it for you.
Woodford Rye whisky
Goling’s rum
Half and half (half a portion milk and half cream)
Cinnamon and vanilla syrup
Darjeeling bitters
Shake it on ice cubes and then throw (in the world of cocktails throwing is a special technique: it has been around for years and is achieved by pouring the ingredients from one vessel to another, one held above the other held as low as possible).
The surprise is the Kellog’s cereal rings in a box decorated with Mr. Gosling’s portrait.
Note: Don’t delay, the professional and hard-working staff at Boutiq’ Bar will go on a well-deserved holiday from August 7th of to 22nd. More colourful and themed events are upcoming there in September! For more info check out their FACEBOOK page and WEBSITE.