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    Home » Drinks

    Mint Lemonade

    Published: Jun 3, 2020 · Modified: Mar 15, 2021 · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    This quick and easy mint lemonade uses fresh mint from the garden to make a refreshing summer drink. Add a little bourbon or gin to make a cocktail!
    This quick and easy mint lemonade uses fresh mint from the garden to make a refreshing summer drink. Add a little bourbon or gin to make a cocktail!
    This quick and easy mint lemonade uses fresh mint from the garden to make a refreshing summer drink. Add a little bourbon or gin to make a cocktail!
    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    This quick and easy mint lemonade uses fresh mint from the garden to make a refreshing summer drink. Add a little bourbon or gin to make a cocktail!

    mint lemonade in glasses

    Who else has a ton of mint in their garden?

    This year, we have… an excessive amount of mint in our container garden. I’m pretty pleased about it.

    My sweet mint popped back up from last year, and a friend gave us peppermint, spearmint, apple mint, catnip (for catnip tea and for my cat), and chocolate mint (my favorite!).

    If you think that seems like a lot of mint, you’d be correct. But that’s not all.

    A few days later, my mother-in-law ordered pineapple mint, strawberry mint, orange mint, banana mint, and candy mint. So now we have our own little mint jungle.

    A mint jungle that needs pruned often.

    Happily, harvesting mint is one of life’s great pleasures. Not only does it smell amazing, it’s also delicious!

    I love using mint in the kitchen. It’s perfect for infused water, fresh mint tea, mint juleps, and chocolate mint ice cream.

    I also love adding fresh mint straight to the glass when I make lavender lemonade and strawberry lavender lemonade. This time, though, I wanted to skip the other herbs and taste the mint!

    You guessed it, I made mint lemonade.

    What Kind of Mint Should I Use for Mint Lemonade?

    Use whatever mint you have on hand!

    If you’ve only got one kind of mint, that’s perfectly fine! If you also have a mint jungle in your container garden, mix and match the flavors.

    Should the Mint Leaves Be Fresh or Dried?

    This recipe uses fresh mint.

    If you have dried mint, you can use that too, but with one caution.

    Dried mint does not stay flavorful for a long time, so make sure to smell your dried mint before using it. Rub some between your fingers.

    If the dried mint still smells fragrant, go ahead and use it. If it smells like nothing, throw it out!

    How to Make Mint Lemonade

    Start by making mint simple syrup.

    To make the syrup, you’ll add fresh mint leaves to a pot with equal amounts of water and sugar.

    Bring the water to a boil, and then remove it from the heat. Set the mixture aside and let it infuse (and cool down) for about 15 minutes.

    Make Mint Simple Syrup
    Make Mint Simple Syrup

    How to Juice Lemons for Lemonade

    While the syrup cools, juice your lemons. You want about 1 cup of lemon juice, so juice somewhere between six and eight lemons until you have enough juice.

    I highly recommend using a citrus reamer or citrus juicer instead of attempting to squeeze each lemon by hand.

    I like a simple wooden citrus reamer, so I squeeze the lemon juice into a measuring cup and then strain out the seeds and pulp.

    If you don’t want to strain out out the seeds and pulp, I recommend using a juicer instead (like this OXO citrus juicer), because it will catch the pulp and seeds as you juice.

    I choose a reamer over a juicer because it takes up less space in my kitchen.

    Juice the Lemons
    Juice the Lemons

    Making Mint Lemonade

    Finally, add the lemon juice and four cups of water to a pitcher.

    Strain the mint out of the syrup, and pour the syrup into the lemonade.

    If you’d like to turn this into a cocktail (a.k.a. hard lemonade), add an ounce or two of bourbon, vodka, or gin to each glass of lemonade.

    I like to serve my lemonade over crushed ice with a sprig of fresh mint, because I just can’t get enough mint!

    mint lemonade in a pitcher and glasses

    Want more lemonade ideas? Try this frozen strawberry lemonade from Girl Heart Food!

    mint lemonade in glasses
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    5 from 1 vote

    Mint Lemonade

    This quick and easy mint lemonade uses fresh mint from the garden to make a refreshing summer drink. Add a little bourbon or gin to make a cocktail!
    Author: Sarah Trenalone
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Total Time25 mins
    Course: Drinks
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Servings: 6 people
    Calories: 137kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    Mint Simple Syrup:

    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 cup fresh mint, loosely packed + rinsed

    Lemonade:

    • 6-8 lemons (approx. 1 cup fresh lemon juice), plus 1 more for garnish (sliced and deseeded)
    • 4 cups water
    • optional: handful fresh mint leaves

    Optional Hard Lemonade Add-Ins:

    • 9-12 oz bourbon, gin, or vodka, depending on desired alcohol content (optionally, add 1-½ to 2 oz alcohol per 8 oz of lemonade)

    Instructions

    • Make simple syrup by adding sugar, mint and 1 cup water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and then remove from heat. Set syrup aside and allow it to cool.
      Sweeten the Lemonade with Mint Syrup
    • Meanwhile, juice lemons until you have about 1 cup of juice. Pour juice into pitcher, and add 4 cups of cold water. 
      Juice the Lemons
    • Strain the mint out of the syrup. Add half the cooled syrup, and taste the lemonade.  Add the remaining syrup if desired.
      Tip: Store any leftover syrup in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a month.  
      Sweeten the Lemonade with Mint Syrup
    • Serve in a pitcher, or in glasses filled with ice.  Garnish glasses with fresh mint.
      If serving hard, add liquor to pitcher, or add to individual glasses as serving.
      mint lemonade in glasses

    Notes

    Makes about six 8-oz servings
    To use dried mint: Make sure the dried mint is still fragrant.  Use about ⅓ cup dried mint instead of 1 cup fresh mint.
    Recipe variation: Swap the water for sparkling water.  Serve immediately.
    Nutrition information does not include optional alcohol.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 137kcal (7%) | Carbohydrates: 36g (12%) | Potassium: 41mg (1%) | Sugar: 34g (38%) | Vitamin C: 15.8mg (19%) | Calcium: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!

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    About Sarah Trenalone

    Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker.

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    Hi, I'm Sarah! I'm a traveler who loves to eat.   Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road.

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