Iced Lychee Cocktail

This FruitStand cocktail goes out to lychee lovers everywhere. Because their juicy flesh is mostly water, they freeze beautifully for delicious frozen cocktails. Plus, fresh lychee imparts a creamy, translucent color and nectary sweetness that softens even the strongest cocktails. 

Lychees taste like summer in a bite. Fresh lychee fruit’s flavor is often described as a combination of green grape, ripe strawberry and watermelon. This lychee cocktail is best enjoyed after a day at the beach, at the backyard cookout or while lingering poolside.

Iced Lychee Cocktail Recipe

• Prep time: 15 minutes active, 7 days inactive
• Serves 4
• Good for: Contains alcohol, vegan
• Difficulty: Moderate

In just one week, lychee fruits impart a fragrant and nectary sweetness to vodka. When you’re ready to party, the lychee infused vodka gets blended with fresh, frozen lychees for a fruity alternative to flavorless ice. Add a touch of lime simple syrup for a citrusy dimension and you have your new go-to summertime cocktail.

INGREDIENTS

Cocktail:

• 1½  cups frozen lychee fruit, approx 15 lychee fruits
• 1 cup Lychee Vodka (recipe to follow)
• ½ cup lime simple syrup (recipe to follow)
• Lime wedges
• Lime zest
  

Lychee Vodka

• 1 cup high quality vodka
• 5 lychee fruits, peeled and pitted

Lime Simple Syrup

• ½ cup boiling water
• ½ cup granulated sugar 
• ½ cup fresh lime juice, approx 2 limes
• 1 teaspoon lime zest

EQUIPMENT:

• Sheet Pan 
• Parchment Paper
• Freezer bag or container
• Measuring cup
• Two mason jars or tightly lidded containers
• Paring knife
• Cutting board
• Blender
• Tumbler or rocks glasses

RECIPE:

Prepare Frozen Lychee

• Place whole, peeled and pitted lychee fruits on a sheet pan fitted with parchment paper. Ensure each fruit has room to freeze without clumping together. Store lychee fruit in the freezer, approximately 4 hours. Once frozen, place the fruits in a sealed container in the freezer where they can be stored for up to three months.

Prepare Lychee Vodka

• Add vodka and the flesh of five lychee fruits to a tightly sealed container, such as a mason jar. Store in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight and out of reach from little ones. Give it a full week to infuse, no more than ten days.

Prepare the Lime Simple Syrup

• Combine boiling water and granulated sugar and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the zest and allow to cool for five minutes. Once slightly cooled, add lime juice and stir to combine. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a week.

Prepare the cocktail: 

• Pour the lychee vodka with the infused fruit, lime simple syrup and frozen lychee fruit into a high powered blender, and pulse until smooth. 
• Serve the beverage in a rocks glass with one large ice cube, garnished with a few flakes of zest and a slice of lime. 

This fruit-forward cocktail can easily shift into a mocktail or kid-friendly cooler. Simply omit the vodka and double the simple syrup, serve in a tall glass with sparkling water for a refreshing and fun drink.

Another kid-friendly take on this recipe: skip the vodka infusion and blend lime simple syrup with freshly frozen lychee fruit. Pour the contents into ice pop or cube trays for a sweet, frozen treat!

Leftover lime simple syrup is a delicious addition to iced tea, lemonade, and even enhanced water. There are endless ways to use this versatile fruit syrup!

Tell us how your iced lychee cocktail came out! Join our Facebook community to swap recipes, compare fruit stories and get tips from fellow fruities. Snap a photo of your FruitStand shipment of specialty-farmed lychees and show it to us on Instagram @FruitStandcom to be featured in our stories!