Lemonade & Sprite Recipe

Make syrup

Combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon lemon zest. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar fully dissolves and mixture is just barely simmering (do not boil vigorously). Once clear and syrupy, remove from heat and let steep 10 minutes to infuse lemon oil from the zest. Strain out the zest and cool syrup to room temperature (about 15–20 minutes).

Juice lemons

While syrup cools, roll lemons on the counter to loosen juice, cut in half and juice until you have 1 cup (about 3–4 lemons). Strain seeds and excess pulp if desired.

Combine

In a pitcher, combine 1 cup fresh lemon juice, 1 cup cooled simple lemon syrup, and 3 cups cold water. Stir well to combine. Taste and adjust: for sweeter lemonade add up to 1/4 cup more syrup; for tarter, add up to 1/4 cup more water.

Chill

Add 2 cups ice to the pitcher or chill the lemonade in the refrigerator until cold (about 20–30 minutes).

To serve each glass (makes about 4 servings): fill four tall glasses with ice. Pour lemonade to fill each glass about two-thirds full (about 5 oz / 150 ml per glass). Top each glass with an equal portion of chilled Sprite so the drink is fizzy and bright (about 2 oz / 60 ml Sprite per glass, using the 2 cups total here will top the pitcher). Stir gently.

Garnish each glass with lemon slices and a mint sprig. Serve immediately so the soda remains fizzy. Leftover lemonade (without soda) can be refrigerated up to 3 days; add Sprite just before serving.