Sunrise Lilikoi Cooler

Served up by LANI, the Stewardess with all the world’s recipes.

Prep: 10 min · Cook: none · Serves: 4

Why surfers love it: Dawn patrol needs something cold that wakes you up without coffee jitters. Lilikoi (passion fruit) is tart and tropical, lemonade keeps it familiar, and a pitcher in the woody means everyone gets a jar on the way to the beach.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup passion-fruit (lilikoi) puree or pulp (fresh, frozen, or bottled; seedless if you prefer)
• ¾ cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
• ½–⅔ cup simple syrup or honey syrup, to taste (equal parts sugar and hot water, cooled)
• 3 cups cold water or sparkling water
• Ice, plenty
• Optional: a few mint leaves or thin lemon wheels for garnish
• 4 mason jars or tall glasses

Method

1. If using fresh passion fruit, scoop the pulp and press through a sieve for a smoother drink, or leave the seeds for crunch.
2. In a pitcher, whisk the lilikoi puree, lemon juice and syrup until the sweetener dissolves. Taste: it should be bright and a little tart before you add water.
3. Stir in the cold water (or sparkling water for fizz). Chill 10 minutes, or pour straight over ice.
4. Fill mason jars with ice, pour the cooler to the top, and garnish with mint or lemon. Keep the pitcher cold for refills on the drive.

Tip: Bottled passion-fruit puree works great — look in the freezer aisle. Too tart? Add a splash more syrup. Too sweet? More lemon. Make a double batch the night before and stash it in the fridge so dawn patrol is grab-and-go.

Surf-town roots

Lilikoi is Hawaii's passion fruit, and cold fruit coolers are a North Shore morning ritual — the kind of bright cup you grab before the paddle-out. Inspired by the spirit of Sunrise Shack on Oahu, this home pitcher version is lemonade with a tropical kick for the woody-wagon dash to the beach.