Classic Lemonade Drink (Printable)
A refreshing citrus drink featuring fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and chilled water with optional garnishes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Citrus
01 - 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (approximately 4–6 lemons)
→ Sweetener
02 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar (adjust to taste)
→ Water
03 - 4 cups cold water
→ Optional Additions
04 - Lemon slices for garnish
05 - Fresh mint leaves for garnish
06 - Ice cubes
# How-to Steps:
01 - Combine granulated sugar with 1 cup of water in a small saucepan. Heat gently while stirring until sugar dissolves completely. Remove from heat and allow syrup to cool slightly.
02 - In a large pitcher, combine freshly squeezed lemon juice and the cooled simple syrup.
03 - Pour in the remaining 3 cups of cold water and stir thoroughly to integrate all ingredients.
04 - Sample the mixture and adjust sweetness or tartness by adding more sugar or lemon juice as preferred.
05 - Refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes to ensure it is well chilled.
06 - Serve the lemonade over ice cubes, garnished with lemon slices and fresh mint leaves if desired.
# Expert Pointers:
01 -
- It takes ten minutes but tastes like you spent an hour perfecting it.
- You control exactly how sweet or tart it is, so it becomes *your* version.
- Fresh lemon juice makes all the difference—grocery store lemonade never tastes quite this alive.
02 -
- If your lemonade tastes bitter, your syrup cooked too long or too hot—keep the heat low and gentle, just enough to dissolve the sugar.
- The ratio of juice to water matters more than the exact amount of sugar; taste first, sweeten second, and you'll never make it too-sugary again.
03 -
- Roll your lemons firmly on the counter before cutting and juicing them—it breaks down the membranes inside and gives you about twenty percent more juice.
- Make a big batch of simple syrup and store it in the refrigerator for a week; then lemonade becomes five minutes instead of ten whenever you want it.