The lemonade recipe
for your table
Make the sugar syrup first: bring equal parts sugar and water to a boil, stir until the sugar has dissolved, then let the syrup cool. Cold syrup mixes into cold water in one go, while loose sugar remains on the bottom.
Roll the lemons firmly back and forth over the countertop before cutting them open. This breaks the membranes in the flesh, so more juice comes out when you squeeze them.
Juice the lemons and pour the juice through a sieve into the pitcher, leaving the seeds and coarse pulp behind. A little pulp can go in too; it gives the lemonade a cloudy, fresh color.
Add the sugar syrup and water, stir everything together, and fill the pitcher to the top with ice. Taste and adjust: add another splash of syrup if it’s too tart, or another splash of water if it’s too sweet.
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The story
In the Netherlands, lemonade has become a collective term for anything made with syrup from a bottle, but the original is simpler than that: squeezed lemon, water and sugar. Because there are only three ingredients, the ratio determines everything. Too little sugar and the acids in the lemon make your mouth pucker; too much sugar and the juice disappears beneath the sweetness. One part to one part to four is the balance most people settle on, with room to make it more sour or sweeter. The rest is technique: syrup instead of granules, a strainer for the seeds and enough ice to keep the jug cold until the last pour.
The right glass
You make lemonade in a jug, not by the glass, because you adjust it to taste and that only works when you have the whole mixture in front of you. A glass serving jug shows how cloudy and how yellow it has become, and a wide spout pours over the ice without spilling. In the glass, you want room: a large tumbler of around 50 cl holds a generous amount of ice, keeping the lemonade cold without diluting it straight away. The jugs themselves are in the water jugs collection.
RCR Adagio Water Jug 1.2 L
RCR Aria Tumbler 55 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 66,90.
The right tools
For lemonade, besides the glass, you use a citrus juicer to squeeze the lemons empty and an ice cube tray for long sticks that melt slowly. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 61,85.
Which splash goes in the lemonade?
Lemonade is alcohol-free by itself. If the pitcher is headed to the adults' table, whisky is the best-known addition, because lemon and sugar are also the foundation of a sour. Vodka and gin also disappear into it effortlessly. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Make pink lemonade by puréeing a handful of strawberries or raspberries and adding them to the pitcher through a sieve; the color then comes from the fruit, not a bottle. A few lightly bruised sprigs of mint give it a cool top note, while two slices of fresh ginger make it sharper. Replace the water with sparkling water for fizzy lemonade, but stir carefully or the fizz will disappear in no time. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Chill the pitcher while you set the table, and only add the ice just before serving. Cut one lemon into thin slices rather than wedges and let them float in the pitcher; it looks better than a slice on the rim. Pour over a full glass of ice so the last sip stays as cold as the first.
Good to know
Why roll lemons first?
Rolling a lemon across the counter with your palm breaks the membranes between the juice vesicles. This loosens the juice inside the fruit, so you can noticeably squeeze out more, especially when the lemon comes straight from the refrigerator.
Why simple syrup instead of loose sugar?
Sugar crystals barely dissolve in cold water and sink to the bottom of the pitcher. Sugar syrup is already dissolved, so it mixes immediately and distributes the sweetness throughout the pitcher. Equal parts sugar and water is the standard syrup.
How long does fresh lemonade keep?
One or two days in the refrigerator, in a sealed pitcher. Fresh lemon juice quickly loses its fresh flavor and becomes flat after that. Remove the ice before storing it; otherwise, it will be watered down the next day.
How much juice is in one lemon?
Allow about 3 to 4 cl per lemon, depending on its size and how juicy it is. So for 15 cl of juice, you need four lemons, or five if they are small.
Can you also use lime or orange?
Yes. Lime is sharper, so you need slightly less juice or slightly more syrup. Orange is naturally sweet, so halve the sugar syrup and optionally add a splash of lemon for freshness.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ratio for homemade lemonade?
Approximately one part lemon juice to one part sugar syrup to four parts water. For a pitcher, that's 15 cl of juice, 15 cl of syrup, and 60 cl of water. Adjust from there: add more water if it's too sharp, and more syrup if it's too sour.
How do you make sugar syrup for lemonade?
Bring equal parts sugar and water to a boil and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Let the syrup cool before using it. In a sealed bottle, it keeps well in the refrigerator for weeks.
How many lemons do you need for a pitcher of lemonade?
Four medium lemons yield about 15 cl of juice, enough for a pitcher of around ninety centiliters. Roll them over the countertop before squeezing to get more juice out of them.
How do you make pink lemonade?
Purée a handful of strawberries or raspberries and pour the purée through a sieve into the lemonade. The fruit adds color and flavor at the same time, and straining keeps the lemonade pourable without any strings.
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