Beat the Heat This Summer With Delicious Boozy Brazilian Lemonade!

It may be a little early to start planning the summery sips for your next cookout, but we’d argue that this refreshing drink is so good, it deserves some year-round love. Brazilian lemonade has recently garnered attention from TikTok users: Videos with the hashtag #Brazilianlemonade have raked in 34 million views, which we think qualifies it as an internet sensation.

And for good reason. The drink combines whole fresh limes (yes, whole!) and sweetened condensed milk to produce a creamy, fresh and deeply citrusy refresher.

In the recipe below, we add rum to the mix, which contributes warm undertones of caramel, fruit and vanilla. It pairs beautifully with the bright, acidic limes and cuts through the richness of the sweetened condensed milk. You can use any of these best rums for this cocktails, but we think a good Brazilian rum would work especially well.

And if you find yourself craving even more citrusy cocktails? Try the Lemon Drop Martini, Simple Rosé Lemonade or Key Lime Pie Milk Punch.

Why Is It Called Brazilian Lemonade?

This drink is commonly found in Brazil (not surprising, based on the name), but what may seem odd is that although the drink has “lemonade” it its name, most recipes actually call for limes. There’s no straight answer for why this is, but some theories say it’s simply because limes are far more abundant in Brazil than lemons.

Another reason might be because the Portuguese word for “lime”is limãoand the word for lemonadeis “limonada.” Given that they’re so similar, it’s easy to see why Portuguese speakers might give limes a starring role in lemonade.

Fun fact: Brazilian lemonade is often referred to as Swiss Lemonade in Brazil. It’s a reference to the Swiss brand Nestle’s sweetened condensed milk, which features the image of a Swiss milkmaid on the label.

How to Make Brazilian Lemonade

The first step when making a Brazilian lemonade is to create a smooth, diluted lime juice. Start by blending together your limes (with the peel and all) with water. You’ll then want to strain out the grainy bits using a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Then, add in your sweetened condensed milk and flavorings. Most traditional recipes simply require sweetened condensed milk and ice, but we add in a touch of sugar (for extra sweetness, and to balance the alcohol) and rum for a kick.