Minnesota Official Summer Drink the Bootlegger Recipe

The Minnesota drink is the Bootlegger. It’s as Minnesotan as the summer mosquito. Long a favorite at country clubs throughout the state, it just screams Minnesota summer. I like to make my Bootlegger easy. I mix canned lemonade and limeade, and I mix it in a blender with mint, and then I make a pitcher for serving. I will use both gin or vodka depending on who I am making the drink for, and if they don’t have a preference, I defer to my taste, which is gin. Do try this with rum or tequila, which also makes a great summer sip. Here is my recipe, but if you are feeling super lazy, our Minnesota maker friends, Summer Lakes Beverage, sell a terrific version in a bottle frozen in your local liquor store’s freezer.

Bootlegger

This is the official drink of Minnesota summer.

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Ingredients

• 1 bunch of chopped mint, stems removed (save a sprig for the garnish)
• ½ cup simple syrup
• 2 oz. vodka, gin, rum, or even tequila
• 1 can limeade frozen
• 1 can lemonade frozen
• Soda water

Instructions

1. Combine lemonade, limeade, simple syrup, and chopped mint in a blender and blend.
2. Fill a tall glass with ice and add 2oz parts booze, 4 oz Bootleg Mix, and 2 oz sparkling water to top it off.
3. Garnish with lemon or lime, a cute straw, and a mint sprig.