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There’s nothing quite like a glass of fresh squeezed lemonade. Cold, tart, and perfectly sweet. It’s the drink that belongs in your hand on any warm day.

Find out how easy it is to make a glass of the best tasting homemade lemonade, as well as tips on how you can scale the recipe for a crowd and mix it up with different flavors!

Why This Recipe Works
Finding the Right Balance
Make It Sparkle
Serving a Crowd?
Variations to Try
Fresh Squeezed Lemonade Recipe

Why This Recipe Works

This is a back-to-basics recipe, but it’s all about doing the basics well.

The key is simple syrup. If you’ve ever mixed sugar directly into cold water and lemon juice, you already know it never fully dissolves.

That’s why simple syrup, equal parts sugar and water gently heated until clear, is essential. It makes your lemonade smooth and balanced from the first sip to the last.

Finding the Right Balance

Lemonade should strike the right balance between tart and sweet. I start with a 1:1 ratio of lemon juice to simple syrup, then add water to dilute.

You can scale the sugar or lemon to suit your taste, but always start with a smaller amount of water. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out. I find that about 4 parts water to 1 part lemon juice is usually just right.

Make It Sparkle

If you like a little fizz, try using sparkling water instead of still.

It instantly transforms your lemonade into something wonderful. It transforms into something that is refreshing, bubbly, and a great mocktail base for parties.

Serving a Crowd?

This recipe is written for a single glass, but it’s easy to scale by combining these, or a factor of these, amounts:

1 cup lemon juice
1 cup simple syrup
4 cups water

Mix it all in a pitcher and serve over ice. Garnish with lemon slices or mint if you’re feeling fancy.

Variations to Try

Strawberry Lemonade: Blend fresh strawberries with the lemon juice before mixing. You can even go a step further and make Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade.
Herbal Twist: Steep mint, basil, or lavender in the simple syrup before straining and cooling.
Limeade: Simply swap the lemons for limes. This is also fantastic with berry puree mixed in.
Spiked Lemonade: A splash of vodka, bourbon, or gin works beautifully for an adult version.

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