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Pink Lemonade

Coloured with real fruit rather than syrup, and sharp enough to actually be refreshing.

Prep
10 min
Serves
6
Glass
Highball
Difficulty
Easy

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 5 lemons)
  • 0.75 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water, for the syrup
  • 1 cup raspberries or strawberries
  • 4 cups cold water
  • Pinch of salt
  • Lemon wheels and berries, to garnish

Method

  1. 1Warm the sugar with 1 cup of water and the berries until the sugar dissolves and the fruit collapses, about 5 minutes.
  2. 2Strain, pressing the fruit through, and cool.
  3. 3Combine with the lemon juice, cold water and salt in a pitcher.
  4. 4Taste and adjust, then chill and serve over ice.

Notes

  • Real berries, not grenadine or food colouring — the flavour is the point and the colour is the by-product.
  • The pinch of salt makes lemonade taste more lemony. It sounds wrong and it works.
  • Freeze some as ice cubes so the pitcher doesn't dilute.

Common questions

What makes pink lemonade pink?

Traditionally raspberries, strawberries or cranberry. Commercial versions usually use colouring; making it with real fruit gives you both the colour and a rounder flavour.

Make one of these next

  • Strawberry Lemonade

    Real macerated strawberries rather than syrup, and sharp enough to be worth drinking.

  • Virgin Pimm's Cup

    The English summer drink — fruit, cucumber, mint and lemonade in a jug. Built for a garden and a crowd.

  • Cherry Limeade

    The American drive-in classic — tart lime, real cherry, plenty of ice.

A new recipe each month

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