A Lemonade Cocktail That Pops!

Every morning I look out my bedroom window and see my lemon tree looking back. "What are you going to do with my fruit today," it asks from across the deck. "These suckers are heavy!" 

Good question. I've made lemon bars and lemon cupcakes. I've squeezed fresh lemon juice into everything from pasta salad to broccoli pesto. I've sliced the lemons and used them as decorative elements in the bottoms of vases. I've zested until I can zest no longer. 

Lemonade? I've made a batch or 12. And thanks to the fine folks at Flat Top Burger Shop in Austin, Texas, I can use it in a new way, when my lemon tree starts its daily guilt trip, I'll say I'm combining its juices with cranberry juice and vodka, then rimming the glass in blue Pop Rocks. That should keep it quiet for awhile.

Sweet Sparkler

1 ¾ ounces vodka

¾ ounces lemonade*

½ ounce triple sec

1 ounce cranberry juice

1 lime wedge

Blue Pop Rocks candy

Moisten rim of glass with lime and press into Pop Rocks. Combine all ingredients, shake and serve in glass over ice.

*Flat Top Burger Shop Lemonade

½ cup sugar

½ cup water

4-6 lemons

1 ½ cups cold water

Heat sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved completely. While the sugar is dissolving, use a juicer to extract the juice from 4-6 lemons, enough for ½ cup of juice. Add the juice and the sugar water to a pitcher, cover with 1 ½ cups cold water and refrigerate 30 minutes.