Summer Drink Recipes: Old-Fashioned Lemonade and Flavored Lemonades

Then get creative with flavored lemonade drink recipes.

Try honey in your lemonade drink recipe instead of sugar. Make Ginger Lemonade and keep everybody guessing what the secret ingredient is. Pep up your lemonade drink recipe with real mint leaves. Finally, try a truly special lemonade drink recipe using lavender.

Don't forget the helpful tips after each lemonade recipe.

Old-Fashioned Lemonade

6 cups water, divided
Zest of one lemon
1 cup sugar
2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 8 - 10 lemons)
Lemon slices, optional

In saucepan, bring two cups water, lemon zest, and sugar to boil. Boil five minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and let cool. Pour into large pitcher. Add four cups cold water and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Chill in refrigerator two hours. Pour into glasses and garnish with lemon slices, if desired.

Old-Fashioned Lemonade Drink Recipe Tip: To get the most juice out of lemons, either firmly roll on counter first or microwave for fifteen seconds before slicing.

Honey Lemonade

½ cup water
1 ½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 5 - 7 lemons)
2/3 cup honey
Zest of one lemon
6 cups water
Lemon slices, optional

In saucepan, heat ½ cup water, lemon juice, honey, and lemon zest. Keeping mixture just under a boil, stir constantly until honey is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool. Add 6 cups of water and refrigerate 3 hours until chilled. Pour into glasses and garnish with lemon slices, if desired.

Honey Lemonade Drink Recipe Tip: If honey lemonade is too tart, add sugar to taste.

Ginger Lemonade

6 cups water, divided
3 inches fresh ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup sugar
2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 8 - 10 lemons)

In saucepan, bring two cups water, ginger root, and sugar to boil. Boil five minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice, cover pan, and let steep fifteen minutes. Strain mixture. Add to large pitcher with remaining four cups water. Refrigerate two hours or until chilled.

Ginger Lemonade Drink Recipe Tip: When purchasing ginger root, be sure it is firm and cannot be easily bent. If too pliable, it is past its prime.

Mint Lemonade

6 cups water, divided
2/3 cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup sugar
2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 8 - 10 lemons)
Mint sprigs, optional

In saucepan, bring two cups water, mint leaves, and sugar to boil. Stirring occasionally, boil ten minutes. Remove from heat and let steep ten minutes. Strain mixture. Add to large pitcher. Add remaining four cups water and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Refrigerate two hours or until chilled. Pour into glasses and garnish with mint sprig if desired.

Mint Lemonade Drink Recipe Tip: Before boiling mint leaves, crush first to release even more mint flavor.

Lavender Lemonade

6 cups water
2 cups sugar
14 sprigs lavender
Zest of one lemon
2 ¾ cups fresh lemon juice (about 9 - 12 lemons)
Lemon slices, optional

In large saucepan, bring to boil 3 cups water, sugar, lavender, and lemon zest. Remove from heat. Cover and let steep. Once cool, strain mixture into large pitcher. Add remaining water (3 cups) and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Refrigerate until chilled. Serve over ice and garnish with lemon slices, if desired.

Lavender Lemonade Drink Recipe tip: You can find fresh lavender at your local health food store.