Fruit Lemonades Recipe

Make simple syrup

Combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup hot water in a small saucepan or heatproof bowl. Stir until sugar completely dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature (about 10–15 minutes). This yields about 1 cup of simple syrup.

Juice lemons to yield approximately 1 1/4 cups (about 6–8 medium lemons). Strain seeds and excessive pulp through a fine-mesh sieve for a smooth lemonade base.

In a large pitcher, combine the strained lemon juice and cooled simple syrup. Add 4 cups cold water and stir. Taste and adjust: if too sweet, add up to 1/2 cup more lemon juice; if too tart, add up to 1/2 cup more water or 2–4 tablespoons simple syrup.

Add ice cubes and lemon slices to the pitcher or individual glasses just before serving. Reserve some slices for garnish.

Make the strawberry purée: place 2 cups hulled strawberries and 2 tablespoons simple syrup (or adjust to sweetness) in a blender. Purée until smooth, about 20–30 seconds.

Optional: press the purée through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds for a silky texture. Use the whole purée for a more rustic drink.

Combine about 3/4 cup strawberry purée with 2 cups of the prepared classic lemonade base in a pitcher (adjust ratio to taste). Stir to combine and chill. Serve over ice with a strawberry or lemon slice garnish.

Make the peach purée: place 2 cups peeled, chopped ripe peaches in a blender with 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional, to preserve color) and a touch of the prepared simple syrup if peaches are not very sweet (1–2 tablespoons). Purée until smooth.

For a smoother texture, strain the purée through a sieve to remove any fibrous bits. Combine about 3/4 cup peach purée with 2 cups of the classic lemonade base, stir, and chill.

Serve over ice with a sprig of basil or mint and a peach slice for garnish. Adjust sweetness with extra simple syrup if needed.

If using fresh blueberries, place 1 1/2 cups blueberries and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and simmer gently for 3–5 minutes until berries break down. If using frozen, thaw and simmer as above. Alternatively, use raw berries and blend raw for a brighter, slightly grainier texture.

Transfer warm berries to a blender and purée until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve to remove skins if desired. Sweeten with 1–2 tablespoons simple syrup if needed.

Mix about 2/3 cup blueberry purée with 2 cups of the classic lemonade base (the deep color can be strong—adjust proportion for flavor and color). Stir, chill, and serve over ice with lemon slices and a few whole blueberries as garnish.

To make sparkling fruit lemonades, fill glasses halfway with fruit lemonade (any of the flavored mixes), then top with 1/4–1/3 cup chilled sparkling water per glass for effervescence. Stir gently once.

Muddle fresh mint or basil leaves gently in the bottom of a glass or pitcher before adding lemonade for an herbal lift. Do not over-muddle or the herbs will turn bitter.

Serve immediately over ice. For a pitcher, add ice just before serving to avoid watering down the drink while chilling.