If you ask 10 people how to make homemade lemonade, expect approximately 11 answers. Although the drink has just three ingredients—water, lemon and sugar—lemonade is a canvas for diverse preferences and creative expressions.
Chief among these is the sweet-sour balance. Some like lemonade with ample sugar or simple syrup, while others favor lots of lemon juice for a sharper tang.
“On its face it looks easy, but it’s a tricky balance,” says Chris Marshall, founder of Sans Bar in Austin, Texas.
The self-proclaimed “first sober bar in Texas,” Sans has had an array of lemonades that included versions infused with herbs and lavender. “Lemonade is a great place to experiment,” says Marshall. “There are so many fun things you can do.”
Origin stories for lemonade abound. Some historians point to an 11th-century Egyptian beverage, qatarmizat, made with sugar and lemon juice.
Millennia later, as citrus became available in Europe, Parisian street vendors sold a similar drink. In mid 17th-century Paris, “lemonade was not only popular but ubiquitous, and carried by limonadiers into every profitable corner of the city,” author Tom Nealon writes in Food Fights and Culture Wars.
For many in the U.S., lemonade is inextricably linked to the history and culture of the American South.“It’s a quintessentially American drink,” says Marshall. “You take this very sour, citrusy fruit, and you take refreshing, life-giving water, and then you add sugar sometimes… It’s a very American concept, taking adversity and hard things, and making them work.”
Lemonade Ingredients
The traditional ingredients in homemade lemonade are lemons, water and sugar.
From there, possibilities abound. Customize your lemonade with additional or alternate citrus like limes and oranges, or add muddled berries.
Fruits have varying degrees of sweetness, though. On average, a lemon contains 1.5 grams of sugar, a lime has 1.1 grams and an orange 9 grams. And while strawberries are perceived as very sweet, one cup clocks in at 7 grams of sugar. So, as you experiment, adjust your sugar or simple syrup accordingly.
Marshall occasionally swaps simple syrup for agave nectar to introduce a faintly vegetal note. You can also infuse your sweetener with herbs, like in this rosemary-scented Shaken Lemonade.
“Anything can be as interesting or as boring as you make it,” he says.
Lemonade Cocktails
To make an easy lemonade cocktail, mix 1 part vodka, gin, bourbon, tequila or whiskey to 4 parts lemonade and serve over ice. It’s essentially a sour, which is a cocktail that combines a base spirit with citrus juice and some type of sweetener.
Prefer something lighter and frothier? Combine an ounce each of lemonade and your liquor of choice over ice. Top with sparkling water for a refreshing drink.
Some of our favorite lemonade cocktails incorporate rosé wine, as in this simple rosé lemonade or the slushy San Jose Frosé cocktail. Or, create lemonade mocktails like those served at Sans by adding non-alcoholic spirits or wines. Try the Ms. Jackson Mocktail or Cucumber-Mint Lemonade.
A Recipe for Homemade Lemonade
This recipe calls to infuse your water with the juiced lemon rinds for added tartness. You can skip that step if you prefer a less sour drink or don’t feel like using another pot.
Covered and refrigerated, homemade lemonade will keep for 5–7 days. It freezes well, too. Pour lemonade into an airtight plastic container or sealable bag and store in the freezer for up to three months.
Ingredients
- 5 lemons
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water, plus 3½ cups
Directions
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar and ½ cup water. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
Juice lemons with a citrus squeezer or tongs, reserving rinds. Strain juice through sieve if you prefer less pulp. Set aside.
Pour 3½ cups of room-temperature water into a pot and bring to boil. Remove from heat, add reserved rinds and let sit uncovered for 10–15 minutes.
Combine infused water, lemon juice and simple syrup in a large pitcher. Chill and serve over ice.
Yield: 4 servings
Last Updated: September 28, 2022
