[trip style = weekend getaway]
The universe has just granted the West Coast a Mr. Golden Sun hall pass, and in a flash, summer's here to stay! Over the weekend I celebrated the sunny season's inaugural shining in Victoria, BC with beer flights, just-caught halibut, farm-to-table broad beans and potatoes, housemade vanilla bean soft serve, and lemonade. Victoria's fresh-made e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g was one of the highlights of my trip style = weekend journey, and I was SO TAKEN by the lemonade---especially after biking 35km in Canada's cycling capital---I had to share the recipe.
More on the recipe below, but first a little about the unlikely mixologist: a hotel! I first encountered the lemonade at The Magnolia Hotel & Spa on day one of a three-day stay. This made for a trio of freshly brewed bliss. Voted one of the Top 10 Luxury Hotels in Canada by TripAdvisor’s® 2011 Travelers’ Choice® awards, The Magnolia is steps from Victoria's buzzy harbor and an apropos boutique stay in a boutique city. In a place where artesian and local are still celebrated and savored, The Magnolia is locally owned---an opportunity they take seriously offering highly personalized service, turndown peppermint chocolates from the Dutch Bakery {two blocks from the hotel}, and included breakfast accompanied by a piano tune.
Back to the lemonade...to call it lemonade is a disservice. Officially, it's {made-fresh-multiple-times-daily} Magnolia Strawberry Mint Lemonade, and it's so sought-after that the General Manager of the Victoria boutique hotel put the recipe on Pinterest {which I have now reppined}! Now I'm sharing it with you because it's a perky, multi-layered concoction with the perfect amount of sweet and tart. In celebration of summer, I raise my glass to you and your travels!
Magnolia Hotel's Strawberry Mint Lemonade
- Handful of mint
- 1/2 lb of strawberries
- Several slices of lemon
{Let above sit in a full jug of water for 2-3 hours}
- Lemon juice to taste
- Water
- 4-5 tablespoons of sugar
- 4-5 tablespoons of honey
{Stir & enjoy}
[photos by myhoneysuckleblog & @tripstyler (taken while a guest of the Magnolia Hotel)]