Summer Splash

With the first sip of Mayfelade, the lemons and lime set the nose to tingling, then the mint cools down the experience. As you swish the subtly sweet, deliciously tart cocktail in your mouth, you can almost smell newly cut grass. This lemonade for grown-ups is the signature drink at Mayfel’s in Asheville.

Owner Loretta Woolley created the refresher for friends relaxing after a long day of work at her other eatery in town, Loretta’s. She refined the recipe over the years, and now adds coarsely grated ginger that turns the freshly squeezed lemonade a subtle shade of pink.

Bar manager Suzie Wallace says regulars clamor for a glass come spring, when they can enjoy it in the restaurant’s courtyard. “This is the thirst quencher you want when you’re done for the day,” she says. “It will definitely lift your spirits.”