Lemonade takes me back to the good ol’ days

Living in Arizona we spend a lot of time by the pool. What says summer better than a cold glass of lemonade from our fresh lemons! It is so easy to make, you won’t buy those packaged mixes ever again. You can adjust this recipe to suit everyone. Instead of simple syrup add your favorite sweetener and stir. This lemonade recipe is on weekly rotation all summer long.

I’m from Rhode Island, and I grew up enjoying Del’s Lemonade. If you know, you know. During the hot and humid summer months, the kids in the neighborhood would listen for the cheerful jingle from the lemonade truck. We would run into the house to grab some cash. We eagerly waited, our mouths watering for that first icy sip with little bits of lemon zest. This was the ’80s; I remember the prices were 50 cents for a small, a dollar for a medium, and a dollar fifty for a large size…. for those kids that were the real high rollers. And if you had an extra quarter, that would get you a giant pretzel stick.

It wasn’t just a drink; it was a moment of joy, connecting with friends while enjoying summer. This is my version of Del’s Lemonade, continuing the tradition with the sweet tastes of summer.

Cheers friends!

Lemonade Recipe

The only lemonade recipe you'll need! So good 🙂

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Course: Drinks

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup Lemon Juice about 4-6 Lemons Juiced
• 1 teaspoon of lemon zest or thin outer peel (no white part) optional
• 6-8 cups of water to dilute
• Ice to serve
• 1 lemon sliced for garnish

Simple Syrup

• 1 Sugar – granulated sugar
• 1 Water

Method

 

1. Make the Simple Syrup first. In a small saucepan on medium heat add 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water.
2. Bring to a gentle boil, stir so the sugar is dissolved completely. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. In a large pitcher pour lemon juice, lemon zest, simple syrup and 6 cups of water (depends on the size of your pitcher you may need to adjust this amount.)
4. Refrigerate to chill. Serve with sliced lemons and add ice.

Notes

Additional mix-ins

Non Alcoholic:

Strawberry sauce: in a small blender add a handful of strawberries and puree. Add to pitcher of lemonade and stir or add a spoonful to each glass.  Simple as that!

     Mint: Add a sprig of fresh mint leaves to give a boost of flavor and bright mint smell.

Adult Beverage:

In a serving glass add a handful of ice and pour in 1 shot of either clear Rum, Tequila or Vodka (amber colored alcohol not recommended) then add lemonade. Garnish with lemon slice