When life gives you lemons, make these deluxe lemonade recipes

Sweet summertime is in full swing. Endless sun-filled weekend afternoons on the porch, kids playing in the backyard, baseball on the radio—the only thing that’s missing is a nice cool refreshment. Luckily we’ve got just the thing.

Nothing screams summer like lemonade. We’re of the opinion that all lemonade is good, but not all lemonade is created equal. Nothing against those cute kids with the stand on the corner, but sometimes concentrate just doesn’t cut it! These from-scratch recipes put a new twist on everyone’s favorite sweet nectar—make a few pitchers before your next barbecue and you’ll have the whole neighborhood talking!

Homemade frozen lemonade

Ingredients:

8 lemons, freshly juiced

½ cup Sugar (or less, for a more tart drink)

1½ cups water

1 cup ice cubes

4 scoops vanilla ice cream (Or one or two more scoops. Who’s counting?!)

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and liquefy!

Strawberry Basil Lemonade

Ingredients:

1 pound strawberries

2 cups sugar

6  lemons, freshly juiced

12 basil leaves

Method:

1. Puree strawberries and ¼ cup water in a blender. Cook strawberry puree and 1¾ cups water over medium-high heat until just boiling. Mix in sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain to remove solids and chill for one hour.
2. In an iced pitcher, combine the strawberry mix with lemon juice, basil, and one cup water. (For an optional kick, try adding a bit of bourbon!)

 Pineapple Mango Lemonade

Ingredients:

10 lemons, freshly juiced

3 ½ cups cold water

3/4 cup sugar

1 (46 oz) can pineapple juice, chilled

1 (32 oz) bottle mango juice, chilled

Frozen pineapple and mango chunks

Ice

Method:

In a large pitcher, whisk together the lemon juice, water, and sugar until the sugar dissolves.

1. Stir in pineapple and mango juice.
2. Serve over ice and garnish with frozen fruit. Enjoy!

Ginger Lemonade 

Ingredients:

8 lemons, freshly juiced

1 cup sugar

¼ cup ginger, sliced into rounds

Fresh rosemary, for garnish

1. Make a ginger-infused simple syrup by bringing the sugar, one cup of water and the ginger slices to a boil in a medium saucepan. Boil for 2 minutes then remove from heat. Let steep for 30 minutes and then strain out ginger slices.
2. In a large pitcher, mix the simple syrup with 2 cups water and the lemon juice. Pour into glasses over ice and garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary.