Good Eats: Lemonade #3 Easy Ways with Fun Flavors

It’s Summer, I live in the South, and I’m hot. I don’t like Summer. I don’t like being hot for several valid and superficial reasons. Nevertheless, Summer has a few things going for it. Mainly, summer fruits and summer drinks. So, I decided to share three of my favorite twists on a summer classic, lemonade!

I’m a proponent of making things as simple as possible so that they are accessible to as many people as possible. So, let me say, there are fancier, more complicated ways to make these drinks, I won’t be doing those here. To begin, there are three ways I like to make flavored lemonades: first, with simple syrups, second, infusing the flavors, and third, with add-ins. I’ll cover them all.

Additionally, please note, I LIKE MY LEMONADE MORE ON THE TART SIDE! If you don’t, use fewer lemons or more sugar (or sugar substitutes ) as you’d like. I always buy more lemons than I think I’ll need because there’s no uniformity in size and flavor, so it’s better to be safer. The beauty of custom lemonade, right? Let’s dig in!

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Rosemary Lemonade

Rosemary & Lemon is obviously one of my favorite flavor combinations as you can see by my lemon rosemary cake here. To do this with a simple syrup, you’ll want to combine equal amounts of water and sugar in a pot, along with sprigs of quickly-rinsed rosemary(smack the rosemary between your hands first to begin releasing the oils). The more rosemary, the more intense the flavor. Heat the mixture until the sugar is dissolved and it begins to boil. Once it begins to boil, set it aside to cool. Once this cools to room temperature, remove the rosemary and, your simple syrup is ready. You can either, store it in the fridge for small batches later, or even personal drinks…. or, if you want to make a larger amount, go ahead and combine with the ingredients below.

The infusion method is much easier but takes a bit longer. You’ll simply make your lemonade and add in the rinsed rosemary directly into the drink. Allow the rosemary to sit in the drink refrigerated for several hours and then taste! I like to use around two to three sprigs for a pitcher.

Rosewater Lemonade

Alright, next up is probably my favorite but I love rose-flavored things. I know floral flavors can be polarizing but I am team florals over here! This one is much simpler as there is no simple syrup or infusing involved, just mixing the ingredients! Now, as I said at the beginning I prefer the most accessible route for my recipes. You can in fact make your own rosewater if you are so inclined! There are lots of tutorials online but it can be tedious as you have to locate trustworthy, clean, organic roses, and other things.

So, I bought mine online, bottled up nicely for me. I’ve used this in other recipes( coming soon 😉 ) and it stretches and keeps, and taste lovely. I’ve linked my particular brand below. One bottle is probably all you’ll need. When you make this drink it is paramount that you start with a smaller amount of rosewater and add in as you taste it. Rosewater looks simple, but she packs a punch and it is really easy to go overboard quickly!

Lady Grey Lemonade

Now, again, this one does require a little prep work but the payoff is worth it! This is my take on the Arnold Palmer, which traditionally consists of sweetened black tea and lemonade. It’s a popular drink here in the Southern US, but I could never get behind it. I couldn’t really put my finger on it until one day I decide, maybe black tea isn’t the best tea for that combination.

So, I tried it with Earl Grey because Earl Grey is a black tea with the addition of oil of bergamot. My thinking was the citrus notes would complement each other. And they did! It was good, but I still thought it could be better. So then, I tried it with Lady Grey. Lady Grey is made by Twinnings. Its a variation of Earl Grey, same base but also has lemon peel and orange peel in it, so the citrus is even more ramped up! And that was it! the citrus in the tea and the lemonade balance out perfectly and the black tea adds a bit of depth.

To make this is fairly simple, you’ll just want to brew your tea and then allow it to cool to at least room temperature. Then, you’ll make your lemonade and mix the two! You can also make the tea, sweeten it, and have a separate container for the two and allow people to mix to their own liking also!

Lastly, all of these drinks can be mixed with soda for a fizzy version or with vodka or gin for an adult version! Don’t forget you can adjust all of the ingredients to your liking! Have fun with it and stay cool, literally and figuratively!

-C.