24 Lemonade Recipes to Cool Off with All Summer Long
You might always have a coffee, seltzer or diet soda in your hand, but when the summer sun is blazing, nothing’s going to quench your thirst like an ice-cold glass of lemonade. While we’ll never get tired of the original, there are a *ton* of impressive, creative renditions out there. Behold, 24 lemonade recipes that turn the seasonal classic on its head in the best way.
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1. Fair-Style Lemonade
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Classic carnival lemonade is simple, yet flawless. So, before we get into creative riffs on the O.G., whip up a batch of this three-ingredient sipper first.
2. Grilled Strawberry Lemonade
The lemons and strawberries are charred on the grill before being juiced and puréed, respectively, into simple syrup. Grilling the fruit brings out its sweetness and gives the drink a smoky nuance.
3. Blueberry Lemonade
Make the blueberry simple syrup ahead of time so it has plenty of time to cool. That way, you can get your sip on the moment a craving strikes.
4. Peach Mango Lemonade
The recipe calls for blending all the ingredients until smooth, then straining the lemonade over a pitcher. Don’t toss the solid bits of fruit away—they can be used to make homemade jam or pie.
5. Mediterranean-Style Mint Lemonade
This frothy, herbaceous lemonade is commonplace in Egyptian ahwas, or small coffeehouses. The key to its thick texture is blending most of the lemons and limes with their skins on.
6. Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade
It’s bubbly, refreshing, tangy and, most importantly, the prettiest shade of pink.
7. Frozen Coconut Lemonade
Whipped lemonade is a total game changer, especially when it stars full-fat coconut milk. Might we suggest adding a shot or two of coconut rum to the blender too?
8. Watermelon Pineapple Lemonade
If you think pineapple and lemon together would be too acidic and sour, fresh watermelon is here to sweeten things up. (BTW, cutting a watermelon is easier than you think.)
9. Lavender Basil Lemonade
The herbs are steeped in the simple syrup, which would taste delicious in everything from a gin and tonic to a vodka soda.
10. Easy Strawberry Lemonade
No simple syrup here—just take the berries for a whirl in the food processor, strain them and combine with sweetened lemon juice.
11. Cajun Peach Lemonade
The easiest way to upgrade a drink (other than with a tiny umbrella) is by coating the glass rim in something delicious, like a smoky, spicy seasoning blend.
12. Pink Lemonade
We can hear your kids slurping it down already. The key to its blush hue, you ask? Unsweetened cranberry juice.
13. Matcha Lemonade
Finishing it off in the blender ensures that no clumps of matcha powder are left behind.
14. Raspberry Peach Lemonade
Summer’s bounty never looked so damn refreshing. Bonus? The recipe uses agave nectar to sweeten the drink instead of traditional white sugar.
15. Lavender French Lemonade
Come summer, citron pressé can be found at fancy sidewalk cafés in Provence and other parts of France. All the ingredients arrive to the table separately, allowing the drinker to mix them to their liking.
16. Cucumber Lemonade
Warning: Once you try cucumber juice, plain water might just feel a little too boring.
17. Pink Watermelon Lemonade Slushies
One sip and you’re 11 years old all over again, demolishing a wedge of watermelon at your BFF’s backyard barbecue without a care in the world.
18. Sparkling Cherry Lemonade
Bubbles make everything better, no? The homemade cherry syrup doesn’t hurt, either.
19. Sparkling Rosewater Lemonade
This herbaceous number is inspired by Lebanese limonada, which is traditionally made with orange blossom water.
20. Frozen Mint Lemonade
OK, hear us out: Spiking this bev with a glug of bourbon transforms it into a whiskey sour-mint julep hybrid.
21. Watermelon Blackberry Lemonade
The kicker is the homemade rosemary simple syrup, which elevates the drink from fruity to refined. (The syrup can be made up to one week in advance, BTW.)
22. Strawberry Basil Meyer Lemonade
Meyer lemons are a lemon-mandarin hybrid, which explains their orange-y rind and sweeter flavor.
23. Boozy Lemonade Granita
Lemonade is good. Hard lemonade is great. Frozen hard lemonade is mind-blowing. Frozen hard lemonade served inside a hulled-out lemon? Sorry, our brain just exploded.
24. Sweet Bourbon Peach Lemonade
If you’re feeling extra lazy come happy hour, go ahead and use store-bought flavored lemonade. Compensate for the shortcut by mixing in a dash of whiskey and fresh peach slices.
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