Strawberry Lychee Lemonade Recipe

Make strawberry-lychee purée

Place the quartered strawberries and the drained lychee (reserve the lychee syrup if using) into a blender. Pulse until smooth but slightly textured, about 20–30 seconds. If you prefer a very smooth base, blend 40–60 seconds.

Cook simple syrup (optional for sweetening)

In a small saucepan combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture is clear, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. If you want a lighter sweetness, dissolve 3/4 cup sugar in 1 cup water instead.

Combine fruit purée and syrup

Stir 1/2 cup of the cooled simple syrup into the strawberry-lychee purée to sweeten and loosen it. Taste and add up to 1/2 cup more syrup if you prefer sweeter lemonade. If you used the reserved canned lychee syrup and want stronger lychee flavor, add 2 tablespoons of it now.

In a large pitcher (at least 2 liters), pour in 3 cups fresh lemon juice. Add the 4 cups of cold water and stir to combine.

Add the strawberry-lychee purée mixture to the pitcher and whisk or stir vigorously until fully incorporated. Taste and adjust sweetness by adding more cooled simple syrup 1 tablespoon at a time, or a touch more lemon juice if it tastes too sweet. Chill in refrigerator for 20 minutes if not serving immediately.

When ready to serve, add the ice cubes to the pitcher or to individual glasses to chill the lemonade without diluting it too quickly (you can also serve over ice in each glass). Stir once more to bring flavors together.

Place mint leaves between your palms and clap once (crushing gently) to release aromatics, then add half of the mint to the pitcher and stir gently.

Pour the Strawberry Lychee Lemonade into glasses filled with ice. Garnish each glass with a strawberry slice and a halved lychee on a cocktail pick or floated on top, and tuck a mint leaf into each glass.

Serve immediately. Leftover lemonade can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours; stir or shake before serving as separation may occur.