Sparkling Sweet Cherry Lemonade

Ingredients 

1 (10-ounce) package frozen pitted sweet cherries (2 cups), thawed
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup sugar
5 cups chilled seltzer water, plus more to taste

Directions

Add the cherries, lemon juice, and sugar to a blender and puree. Pour the mixture into a large pitcher. Add the seltzer and stir gently. Pour into glasses filled with ice and top with additional seltzer, if desired.

Raspberry Lemonade

Raspberry Lemonade

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup of water

¾ cup raspberries; pureed and pushed through a fine mesh sieve; plus more whole berries for garnish if desired
1 cup fresh lemon juice (this equaled close to 8 of my lemons)
4-6 cups cold water 

Directions
1. Make a simple syrup by combining the sugar with 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and heat until the sugar in completely dissolved; swirl the pan occasionally. Let cool.
2. Measure 3/4 of fresh raspberries and puree them in your blender or food processor.
3. Push the raspberry puree through a fine mesh sieve to separate the seeds from the pulp.
4. Once the simple syrup has cooled, combine the raspberry puree, simple syrup and lemon juice in a large pitcher.
5. Add 4-6 cups of cold water. The amount of water you use will depend on your taste, so add as little or as much as you want to achieve your perfect sweet/tart balance.

Cotton Candy Lemonade

Cotton Candy Lemonade

Makes 4 glasses

You will need:

8 cups pre-made lemonade
Cotton candy, as many colors as you want

1.Fill your glasses with ice and lemonade. 

2.Take a small piece of cotton candy and place in each glass. 

3.Watch the cotton candy melt and change the color of your lemonade!

Brazilian Lemonade

Brazilian Lemonade

Ingredients:

4 juicy limes (try and find ones with thin, smooth skins; they’re the juiciest and the thin skin cuts down on the chance of your drink being bitter)
1c. sugar
6c. coldwater
6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

Instructions:

Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. This step can be done ahead of time.

Wash limes thoroughly with soap (I just use hand-dish washing soap or regular hand soap); you need the soap to get the wax and pesticides off of the limes because you’re using the WHOLE lime, baby. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into 8ths. Place 1/2 of the limes in your blender.

Add 1/2 of the sugar water, place the lid on your blender, and pulse 5 times. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher (the one you’ll serve the lemonade in) and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Dump the pulp and stuff in the strainer into the trash. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water. Add sweetened condensed milk; DO NOT leave this step out unless you will die of a horrible sweetened condensed milk allergy because this is the secret ingredient! You may want to taste test it at this point; I used giant, thick-skinned limes tonight and didn't test it and it came out a little bitter. If it’s bitter, just add some more sugar and maybe a little more milk.

Serve immediately over lots of ice. This does not keep well, so don’t make this in advance (although you can cut the limes, mix the sugar water, and measure the sweetened condensed milk in advance). Serves 4, although I can pretty much guarantee you that people will want more; I usually plan on 1 1/2 servings at LEAST per person.

Peach Lemonade

Peach Lemonade

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 2 cups coarsely chopped peaches
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup lemon juice (about 4 to 6 lemons)
• 1 peach, cut into wedges
• Mint for garnishment

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine the first 3 ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 3 minutes. Place peach mixture in a blender. Remove the center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape) and cover the top with a clean dish towel. Puree until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
2. Press peach mixture through a sieve over a large bowl, reserving liquid. Discard the peach solids. Stir in lemon juice.
3. When ready to serve, add 1/2 cup ice to the glasses, and pour peach lemonade into the glasses. Garnish with peach wedges and mint.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 5 minute(s)