Different Types of Lemonade

Whether you pick it up from a child's lemonade stand or you make it yourself from your great-grandmother's recipe, lemonade is an enduring American tradition. Make the refreshing, tart drink with fresh-squeezed lemons, sugar and water. Because of the drink's popularity, twists on the classic lemonade are widely available or easily made at home. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Classic Lemonade

The simplicity of the original, classic lemonade remains a popular summertime beverage. For a large pitcher of lemonade, squeeze the juice from about 12 lemons into the pitcher. Add 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. Mix together until the sugar dissolves, then add five more cups of water. Top with ice and refrigerate or serve immediately. Lemon slices are sometimes added to the pitcher for presentation.

Fruity Lemonades

Combine lemonade with other fruit such as strawberries, raspberries and peaches. To make a strawberry lemonade, puree the strawberries in a blender and strain to remove seeds. After combining the lemon juice, sugar and water for classic lemonade in a pitcher, stir in the strawberry puree until well combined. Add the ice and serve or refrigerate.

Alchoholic Lemondade

At just about any bar you're bound to find alcoholic beverages that the bartenders make that start with lemonade. One such drink, a vodka lemonade is as simple as it sounds; pour 1 oz. of lemon-flavored vodka into a glass. Fill the glass the rest of the way with lemonade. Another lemonade drink to try is the Bayou Backwater, which combines 2 oz of peach-flavored liqueur with 6 oz. of lemonade in a tall glass. Add ice to serve.

Other Lemonade Blends

Although commercially made pink lemonade simply contains food coloring and extra sugar, traditional Southern pink lemonade is typically made with grenadine. In a pitcher combine the juice of six lemons, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tsp. grenadine and 1 cup of water. Mix until all the sugar is well dissolved, then add another three cups of water and top with crushed ice. Another popular lemonade drink is an Arnold Palmer, which is half lemonade, half ice tea. The drink can be served as is or with vodka to make it an alcoholic beverage.