Shake Up Lemonade

State fair-style lemonade is so easy to make at home!

It’s refreshing and delicious and the epitome of summertime in a glass and loved by adults and children equally. The perfect beverage!

Really, this is better than Chick-fil-a lemonade. Which is NOT SOMETHING I SAY LIGHTLY. That stuff is my kryptonite. I would cross oceans for it. Write sonnets about it. Drink it every day and never tire of it.

So am I nervous that I can shake up a lemonade in my own kitchen in under 5 minutes that rivals my beloved Chick-Fil-a? YES.

Fresh, homemade lemonade is so superior to every other type, and it’s so simple to make! If you have lemons, sugar, water, and ice, you’re ready.

HOW TO MAKE A LEMON SHAKE UP

I like to quarter a lemon and juice them into a cocktail shaker using a handheld citrus juicer, then I throw the juiced rinds in the shaker, too! This will give you some frosty pulp in the final product and I think is really key to a fair-feel.

Shake the fresh juice and rinds up with sugar, water, and ice.

It’s refreshing, sweet, citrusy, and so satisfyingly cold.

I love how easy it is to make a single serving, but it’s simple enough that you can make several at once if needed.

And, it’s quick! Most lemonade recipes dissolve the sugar by making a simple syrup. Then you have to wait HOURS for it to cool before enjoying cold lemonade. A shake up dissolves the sugar by vigorous shaking. Meaning there is no cool time!

WHY SHAKE LEMONADE?

Shaking this lemonade does a few things: it makes it SUPER cold, it dissolves the sugar, and as the ice melts, it dilutes the concentration slightly, resulting in a perfectly sweet and refreshing lemonade.

I also think using a cocktail shaker makes this feel like the ultimate summer mocktail!

WHAT TO USE FOR SHAKING

I like my cocktail shaker for this (very similar to this one) – It’s the perfect size, cools everything down really well, and the strainer helps to prevent seeds and pulp from getting into your glass. Alternatively, you could use a mason jar, water bottle, protein shaker bottle, or two cups that fit snuggly against each other.

DO I NEED TO USE FRESH LEMON JUICE?

YES. The bottled stuff is heated during processing which changes the flavor. And since the lemon flavor is so important here, you’ll be able to tell a big difference between fresh and bottled. Plus, you want the lemon peel for this, too. A handheld juicer makes this easy!

HOW CAN I MAKE THIS FOR A BIG PARTY OR GATHERING?

I’d steer away from making a big batch at once, since so much of the appeal of this lemonade is that it’s freshly shaken and super, super cold.

But, I think it would be so fun to do a lemonade shake up station where people can make their own! You could have all of the ingredients ready to go and cups for shaking and the recipe written out somewhere. A fun party activity!

HOW DO I MAKE FLAVORED LEMONADE?

There are so many good variations to lemonade! If you want to venture from the classic, add some fresh berries to the shaker before shaking. Raspberries (to make pink lemonade), blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries are all delicious! They’ll get muddled during the shaking and impart some fun flavor and color.