Pink Lemonade is a fantastic choice for summer, ideal for cooling down on warm days or adding a splash of fun to your gatherings. It's made with fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and just a touch of cranberry juice, grenadine, or other pink juices, giving it a lovely pink color and a delicious balance of tart and sweet tastes.
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Enjoy this cold, icy drink with plenty of ice. It’s not only refreshing but also a hit at parties and casual meet-ups. Though there are several stories about its origins, today's Pink Lemonade is loved for its vibrant color and delightful flavor.
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Ingredients and Substitutions Overview
To make this Pink Lemonade, you'll need just a few simple ingredients, all of which are easily available at most supermarkets or grocery stores. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Lemons: Choose any type of lemon that's available to you.
- Sugar: This is for making the simple syrup. You can use granulated white sugar, raw sugar, or brown sugar. Keep in mind that brown sugar might change the color of your lemonade, affecting its pink shade.
- Cranberry Juice: A cup of cranberry juice adds the pink tint. If you prefer, you can use strawberry juice, pomegranate juice, watermelon juice, or grenadine syrup as alternatives.
- Water: You'll need this both to dilute the lemon juice and to prepare the sugar syrup.
- Ice Cubes: These are essential for serving your lemonade nice and chilled.
How to Make Pink Lemonade at Home?
Get ready to make the perfect Pink Lemonade with our easy-to-follow recipe! Below, you'll find step-by-step photos and a video guide to help you prepare this delightful drink without any hassle.
Enjoy More Lemonades and Summer Drinks:
- Lemonade
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Arnold Palmer Drink
- Shirley Temple Drink
- Aguas Fresca
- Rainbow Sherbet Punch
- Fruit Punch (Party Punch)
Pink Lemonade
Ingredients
For Syrup
- 2 cups Sugar
- 2 cups Water
For Lemonade
- 1.1 lb Lemon, 10 medium size
- 4 cups Water
- 1 cup Cranberry Juice
Instructions
Making Sugar Syrup
- Combine equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan and place over medium heat.
- Keep stirring until all the sugar dissolves completely. Once dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and let the syrup cool down before you use it in your drinks.
Making Pink Lemonade
- Start by halving the lemons, and transfer them into a bowl.
- Squeeze out all the juice from the lemons. You can use a fork, a handheld juicer, or a citrus press—whichever method you prefer.
- Press the pulp against a mesh strainer to maximize the juice yield.
- In a large pitcher, mix the lemon juice, sugar syrup, cranberry juice, and water. Stir everything together and refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors meld and the mixture to cool.
- Fill a serving glass with ice cubes and lemon slices, then pour in the chilled Pink Lemonade. Your refreshing drink is now ready to savor and enjoy.
Serving
- Enjoy this Pink Lemonade as the perfect refreshment on warm days or as a delightful drink to serve your party guests.
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Recipe Video
Chef's Notes and Tips
- Chill Your Ingredients: Before mixing, chill all your ingredients. This keeps the lemonade cool and refreshing without diluting it too quickly with melting ice.
- Fresh Lemons: Always opt for fresh lemons rather than bottled lemon juice. The fresh juice gives a brighter, more authentic flavor.
- Use Filtered Water: For the best-tasting lemonade, use filtered water in your syrup and to dilute the juice, as it ensures no unwanted flavors interfere with the clean, fresh taste of your lemonade.
- Syrup Sweetness: Use simple sugar syrup to add the right amount of sweetness. A 1:1 ratio of sugar to water usually works well, but feel free to adjust according to your taste preferences.
- Adjust the Tartness: If you find your lemonade too tart, you can add a little more sugar syrup. If it's too sweet, a bit more lemon juice will do the trick.
- Achieving the Pink Hue: A cup of cranberry juice provides a beautiful pink color without overwhelming the flavor of the lemonade. Use just enough to achieve the color while keeping the taste balanced.
- Alternative Pink Ingredients: For different shades of pink, consider using watermelon or cherry juice, or even grenadine syrup. Each option adds a unique twist to both the color and flavor of the lemonade.
Nutrition Info
Disclaimer
We're not nutrition experts, and the nutritional information provided is an estimate. Please use it as a guide. For precise details, it's best to consult a professional. To learn more, please view our Detailed Disclaimers.
Serving and Storage Suggestions
- Serving: Load this Pink Lemonade with ice cubes and fresh lemon slices for a wonderfully refreshing drink on hot days. It’s also perfect for gatherings and parties, where its bright color and fresh taste can really shine.
- Storage: Keep your Pink Lemonade fresh by storing it in the fridge for 4 to 5 days in a sealed pitcher. For an even fresher taste, store the sugar syrup and squeezed lemon juice separately, and mix them with cranberry juice and water just before serving.
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