Lemonade Recipe

Combine sugar and water

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water.

Dissolve sugar

Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reaches a gentle simmer, about 3–5 minutes. Avoid boiling vigorously.

Cool the syrup

Remove from heat and let the syrup cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a jar or heatproof container. This yields about 1 cup of simple syrup to use in the lemonade.

Juice the lemons

Cut enough lemons to yield 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4–6 medium lemons). Strain the juice through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher to remove seeds and excess pulp if you prefer a smooth texture.

Combine ingredients

To the pitcher with 1 cup lemon juice, add 1 cup cooled simple syrup and 4 cups cold water. Stir thoroughly until combined.

Taste and adjust

Taste the lemonade. If it's too tart, add up to 2 tablespoons more simple syrup at a time until balanced. If it's too sweet, dilute with additional cold water, 1/4 cup at a time, until it reaches your preferred strength.

Add ice

Add 4 cups of ice to the pitcher (or fill individual glasses with ice) to chill the drink. Stir once more to cool everything evenly.

Slice the extra lemon into rounds or wedges for garnish. If using zest, grate a small amount before cutting the lemon. Lightly bruise or 'slap' the mint leaves between your palms to release aroma. Pour the lemonade into glasses over ice, garnish each glass with a lemon slice and 1–2 mint leaves, and serve immediately.