Refreshing Old-Fashioned Lemonade.

There’s nothing better than a glass of old-fashioned lemonade on a hot day! This classic summer beverage is the perfect combination of tart lemons and sweet sugar syrup. Serve this over a cup full of crushed ice for a refreshing treat.

We’re in the thick of summer here, and that means it’s time to figure out all the ways to stay cool. Turn on the fans, the AC, break out the popsicles and vegan ice cream, and make nice tall glasses of this old-fashioned lemonade.

Homemade lemonade is kind of a special treat, isn’t it? Of course you can just buy a bottle of lemonade or mix some up from frozen concentrate, but taking a little bit of time to make lemonade from scratch results in an extra delicious drink.

There’s something special about using fresh squeezed lemon juice – this recipe is very refreshing and delicious – just like grandma used to make.

There’s a little trick to getting that old fashioned lemonade taste…simple syrup. Instead of doing a cup full of straight sugar, you will make a sugar syrup to add to your lemonade.

How do you make simple syrup?

Simple syrup is just equal parts sugar and water that you heat on the stove. Don’t boil it, though, just heat it until the sugar dissolves. It makes the lemonade sweet, and there’s no gritty sugar at the bottom of your glass. It takes a couple extra minutes, but it’s really worth it.

Can I just use straight sugar instead of simple syrup?

You can – I used to make lemonade that way. However, it is nearly impossible to get the sugar to fully dissolve, resulting in a bit of a gritty texture and a pile of sugar at the bottom of the pitcher.

Simple syrup is a game changer! Once I started making lemonade this way, I’ve never gone back.

Can you make lemonade with bottled lemon juice?

Yes, you can use bottled lemon juice if you prefer. I think the flavor is better when you use fresh squeezed lemon juice, but if you only have bottled lemon juice on hand, don’t let that stop you from making this classic summer drink.

More refreshing summer beverages:

• Homemade Strawberry Lemonade
• Cherry Limeade
• Watermelon Berry Refresher

You can be creative with this recipe if you like! If you prefer to use a mix of lemons and limes, you can do that! If you’d like to add another fruit juice, like blueberry juice or cranberry juice, you can do that as well.

Try freezing some berries and tossing them in the pitcher before serving for a colorful and festive way to keep the lemonade cold.

Other lemon recipes to try:

• Lemon Roasted Potatoes
• Gluten Free Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
• Frosted Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Recipe

Old Fashioned Lemonade.

Kelly Roenicke

Old fashioned lemonade is made with simple syrup for a delicious summertime drink!

4.34 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Beverage

Cuisine American, Dairy Free

Servings 4

Calories 159 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup fresh lemon juice about 8 medium sized lemons
• ▢ 4 ½ cups water

For the simple syrup:

• ▢ ¾ cup sugar
• ▢ ¾ cup water

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Instructions

 

• Place the ¾ cup water and ¾ cup sugar in a sauce pan. Heat over medium low heat, stirring often, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.
• Juice the lemons, and put the juice in a pitcher.
• Add the 4 ½ cups water and the cooled simple syrup. Stir well.
• Taste and see if it is sweet enough for you. Adjust as needed.
• Serve over ice.

Notes

You can use bottled lemon juice if that's what you have on hand, but the flavor will be better with fresh squeezed lemon juice.

Store leftover lemonade in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Everyone's taste is different, so if you need to add more or less sweetener, you can adjust that according to your taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 159kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 17mgPotassium: 64mgFiber: 1gSugar: 39gVitamin A: 4IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg

Keyword summer drink, with simple syrup

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This post was originally written in July 2016. It has been updated.