How to Make the World's Best Lemonade, According to 3 Experts

Citrus lovers rejoice—lemonade season is finally here! While I find regular fruit juices a bit too sweet for everyday drinking, I often crave lemonade in the summer months for a tart, slightly sweet refreshment.

However, in my years of making lemonade at home, I’ve found it incredibly challenging to achieve the signature flavor balance of this popular drink. No matter how hard I try, I can’t recreate the lemonade quality I enjoy at my favorite restaurants and juice spots.

I decided to ask a handful of experts to reveal their number one tip for making the best lemonade—and surprisingly, they all shared the same one.

The Experts I Asked

• Erin Clarke: Creator of recipe blog Well Plated and best-selling author of Well Plated Cookbook and Well Plated Every Day
• Kat Marris: Private chef and recipe developer
• Nicole Addison, RD, MHSc: Creator of recipe blog Nourished by Nic

How to Make the Best Lemonade

When it comes to making the perfect pitcher of lemonade, these experts agree that it’s all about choosing the right sweetener—one that is in liquid form.

“It's important to make a simple syrup instead of directly adding the sugar. This ensures the lemonade is nice and smooth and it gives you better control over the sweetness,” explains Clarke. As its name implies, simple syrup is as easy to prepare: just heat equal parts sugar and water until the crystals dissolve, then cool until ready to use.

Clarke sometimes infuses her homemade simple syrup with additional flavorings, like blackberries. “Just be sure you strain any infused syrups before adding them to the pitcher,” she says.

Meanwhile, Marris reaches for agave nectar, another liquid sweetener. “I like to use agave nectar in place of granulated sugar for the sweetener in my lemonade," she shares. "It adds a richer profile and makes a fast lemonade, as you don't have to dissolve the granulated sugar into hot water."

The experts agree that the amount of sweetener used is up to the person making it. “I recommend sweetening your lemonade to meet your personal taste preferences,” says Addison. Marris shares her own ratio: 3/4 cup of agave nectar to 6 cups of water.

Also a must, declare the experts: using freshly squeezed lemon juice, with the option of stirring in fresh herbs like rosemary, lavender, basil, or mint for extra flavor.

How to Enjoy Lemonade

Besides pouring the sweet-tart drink over ice and immediately enjoying it, these experts offered other creative ideas for sipping summer's golden elixir.

On super-hot days, they all turn to the freezer. “I like to use lemonade ice cubes in my lemonade instead of regular ice cubes," reveals Marris, noting that it simply involves making a bigger batch and freezing the liquid in ice cube trays. "This helps prevent a watered-down glass and adds more flavor." Addison turns hers into a favorite summer treat: “I love freezing my lemonade in silicone molds to create the ultimate popsicles, perfect for a hot day."

Lemonade can also serve as the base for other drinks, explains Clarke, like her twist on an Arnold Palmer, made with equal parts lemonade and mint tea, and a summer spritz with fresh berries, sparkling wine, club soda, and optional vodka or gin. "Garnish with more berries, and you have summer in a glass,” she adds for the latter.

Perhaps the most unexpected use came from Marris: “I use a cup or two of lemonade whisked with garlic, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. It works well as a marinade for grilled chicken and shrimp because the sugar in the lemonade caramelizes on the grill while still bringing the acidity needed for a good marinade." I'll be adding that to my summer recipe bucket list.