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Refreshing Summer Drink with Limes and Condensed Milk
Brazilian lemonade is a popular non-alcoholic drink that is sweet, tart, and frothy. Blended with ice and condensed milk, it is especially refreshing in the warmer summer months.
Brazilian lemonade is actually made with limes. In the States, we would call it a “limeade.” However, in Brazil, the word for “lime” is limao-taiti, which translates to “Tahitian lemon.” The drink made from the limao (“limonada”) therefore translates to “lemonade” in English.
While there are several variations of the drink, the most popular version is known as limonada suiça, or “Swiss Lemonade.” It is thought that the reference to Switzerland comes from the fact that the beverage is sweetened with Nestle brand condensed milk. Nestle is a food and beverage company based in Vaud, Switzerland.
The traditional recipe for Brazilian lemonade calls for whole limes, including the peel. If you find the flavor of the peel too bitter for your taste, you can certainly omit it. You can also use some peeled, and some whole. We personally like the bite of the peel, which offsets the creamy sweetness of the condensed milk.
That being said, if you are using whole limes, you will want to drink your limonada right away. The drink can become extremely bitter if left for longer than one day. You can also reduce the bitter taste by blending only for a short period of time.
How to Make Brazilian Lemonade (Limonada Suiça)
Ingredients:
4 large, ripe limes
½ cup sweetened condensed milk
4 cups of water
Ice
Directions:
- Put all ingredients except ice into a blender. Blend for no more than 10-15 seconds.
- Fill a pitcher with ice.
- Pour the juice from your blender through a mesh strainer into the pitcher filled with ice.
If you like, you can line the rim of your glasses with a little sugar. Garnish with lime wedges.
For a blended version of this drink, strain your juice then put it back in the blender with as much ice as you need to make it creamy, but pourable. This version pairs nicely with a little coconut rum or cachaça.
What to Eat with Brazilian Lemonade
The tartness of this drink is well-suited to smoky churrasco dishes, like picanha or bacon-wrapped chicken. You can now easily prepare Brazilian-style dishes at home with one of Texas de Brazil’s premium grill packages, delivered right to your door.
