Stir it up: lemonade five ways

***Rachel Khoo would like to thank all the inspiring people who helped make the Khoollect studio a hive of creativity. Although the Khoollect studio’s doors have now closed, you can keep up with Rachel’s newest adventures on RachelKhoo.com and on Rachel’s Instagram and Facebook pages – and, continue to enjoy the Khoollect website’s stories and recipes, which will remain available.***

As soon as the temperature slides up a few notches on thermometres in London, its locals flock to the city’s outdoor spaces to catch as much sunlight as they can.

The scent of barbecue smoke fills parks, people and their pets laze on blankets, and refreshing beverages are called for. Lemonade is not only a visual album by Beyoncé, but also a quintessential picnic refreshment. With a few added ingredients, this classic drop can quickly become a crowd-pleaser for you and your picnic crew. Here’s how to make this favourite drink a little fancier, with five flavour combinations:

  1. Watermelon and mint
    Perfect for summertime sipping, this combinatation is a winner on hot days. Blend your preferred basic lemonade recipe (or a store-bought variety) with a handful of watermelon chunks. Be sure to remove the seeds first, and add more pieces of watermelon based on your tastes. Then, simply pop a handful of torn mint leaves in the bottom of your jug, pour your lemonade in and give it a stir. To finish, top with ice.
  2. Sage and blackberry
    Looking to impress? Try muddling ten blackberries and ten sage leaves together and stirring them into a jug of lemonade, for a delicious twist on a classic. To make your mix a little sweeter, you can add a little store-bought blackberry syrup (or cordial) too.
  3. Lemon and thyme
    By melting a quarter cup of honey into a cup of water on your stove top, and toasting a small bunch of thyme leaves, you can create a uniquely delicious lemonade. Once toasted, add your thyme sprigs to the honeyed water. Once it’s cooled, pour the mixture through a strainer and into your lemonade. Stir well and add ice.
  4. Lavender and honey
    To whip up this pastel-coloured beverage, you’ll need to create a simple lavender syrup. Combine two cups of water and two cups of sugar, over a medium heat, and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Then, off the heat, stir in three tablespoons of dried lavender and a drop of honey (or agave nectar). Let this sit for a couple or hours (you’re steeping the lavender, as you would a cup of tea). Then strain the syrup, pour it into a jug, stir in around two cups of freshly squeezed lemon juice and top with water. This one’s worth the wait.
  5. Pineapple and ginger
    An easy party punch you can put together on the spot, simply mix two cups of pineapple juice, one cup of ginger ale and two cups of lemonade, then stir it up. It’s much nicer if you keep ingredients chilled before you make it. You can play with the quantities of each liquid to suit your tastes. Cheers!

 

Do you have a go-to lemonade recipe? Tell us about it!

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WRITTEN BY:
Sonya Gellert

Sonya Gellert is a contributing writer and associate editor for Khoollect. She lives in Sydney....

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Ready to try these out?

Hop over to the forum to let us know how your lemonade variations go. And, if you’re on Instagram, hashtag #khoollectcook and tag @khoollect to show us your creations.