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lemonade 7 Jocelyn Hsu
lemonade 7 Jocelyn Hsu
Recipes

Lemonade Add-Ins for The Ultimate Summer Refresher

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at UVM chapter.

Lemonade is a summer staple. It’s sweet, fresh, and full of tang. But not all glasses of lemonade are created equal of course! Here are some of my favorite twists on the traditional lemonade recipe. 

Fresh-Squeezed Peach Juice

make ahead smoothies sweet apple
Sarah Strohl

One of my favorite summer treats is peach iced tea- made with fresh squeezed peach juice! If you’re a lemonade fan, peaches can also be a surprisingly fresh twist on a classic favorite. I recommend going to a local grocery store or Farmers Market to find the ripest ones as possible. Not only are these peaches, many of which are bruised, cheaper to purchase, but they are also at their sweetest point. Simply use a juicer or a handheld device to extract the flavors from the peaches. 

Seltzer or Bubbly

Lemonade wine alcohol
Alex Frank

Make your lemonade boozy with a little bit of champagne! It will have the feeling of a mimosa but with more lemon flavor. If you’re ABV-free like me, you can use seltzer to add some fizz. 

Maple Syrup

Lemonade wine alcohol
Kathleen Lee

Maple lemonade is a staple of the Burlington Farmer’s Market, and it’s super easy to add to your homemade glass of lemonade. Substitute sugar for maple syrup; you may have to taste often and add slowly to avoid making your lemonade too sweet. 

Ginger

Ginger is one of my favorite foods to cook with. It can provide an element of spice and undertones of sweetness unlike many others. In lemonade, it’s refreshing and will open up your sinuses. 

Watermelon Juice

Lemonade watermelon melon
Bhavya Bansal

At summer camp, we drank a WHOLE LOT of watermelon lemonade. If you don’t want to “waste” a lot of watermelon in the process, use the leftover juice from your cubed watermelon. 

Frozen Blueberries 

What’s the issue with “normal” ice you ask? It melts and water down your lemonade of course!

Lemonade berry pasture
Jocelyn Hsu

Frozen blueberries are delish and full of B Vitamins. When they melt, they won’t water down your lemonade. Rather, they will infuse and make a delicious cup of blueberry goodness. 

Lavender

Look no further than your garden for this twist on a lemonade. Lavender smells amazing and provides a new texture to your traditional lemonade recipe. Lavender can also be used as a medicine, so this recipe will help soothe your body and help you relax. 

Sara found her passion for writing and editing as an editorial intern (and later copy editor, managing editor, and editorial director) at bSmart Guide: an online women's publishing platform focused on women's wellness and professional mentorship. She became the president and editorial director at Spoon University-Vermont in March 2020. When she's not writing, Sara enjoys reading, fitness, yoga, and hiking. She currently lives in Vermont and studies Environmental Studies, Food Systems, and Nutrition & Food Science at UVM. After graduation, she plans on pursuing a M.S. in Agricultural Extension Education and becoming a 4-H Youth Development Coordinator.