This sparkling pink lemonade is a perfect summer drink, naturally colored a pretty pink with berries! A kid-friendly delight that frequently is the go-to in my fridge every summer, you'll love the deliciously fruity bubbly taste of this homemade lemonade.
Loving lemonade lately? Try my Tuscan Lemonade cocktail, Brazilian Limeade, old fashioned Southern Lemonade recipe, or my favorite Strawberry Lemonade!
Sparkling Pink Lemonade Made Easy
This refreshing lemonade is one that I called the Drink of the Summer in 2018, so I knew I needed to do it justice when I updated it to standards with step-by-step instructions and way better photos, because your girl has leveled her photography ALL THE WAY UP.
My recipe for sparkling pink lemonade is absolutely delicious, not overly sweet, and totally, perfectly pink from a berry puree. No artificial food coloring here! It's easy to make a big batch in a pitcher to share or just a single serving of berry flavored bubbly goodness to enjoy yourself.
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Jump to:
- Sparkling Pink Lemonade Made Easy
- Why You'll Love this Homemade Pink Lemonade Recipe
- Ingredients
- How to Make Sparkling Pink Lemonade
- Pink Lemonade Variations
- Make It a Cocktail!
- Pro Tips and Substitutions
- Storage Instructions
- Equipment Needed
- FAQs
- More Summer Sipping Recipes
- Sparkling Pink Lemonade
- Pink Lemonade Variations
Why You'll Love this Homemade Pink Lemonade Recipe
- Very Easy, Family-Friendly Drink - like a strawberry Italian soda, this drink is made with all natural ingredients, so don't expect it to taste anything like a bottled pink lemonade! The flavor is all berries, fresh lemon juice, and sugar!
- Learn how to Make a Simple Syrup - a simple syrup is just that: a simply made syrup. It's one part water to one part sugar, simmered together! It is a great sweetener used in cocktails and drinks when you don't want sugar crystals sitting at the bottom.
Ingredients
Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice - shelf-stable lemon juice is way more sour than fresh lemon juice, because they have to use underripe lemons and preserve them with additives which made it taste bitter, too.
- Strawberries and Raspberries - I used fresh berries because they're in season (actually I used some strawberries that were on their way out. A perfect usages for them!), but frozen is also a great option to use. Thaw them and continue with the recipe!
- Some sort of Carbonated Water - I used club soda, but sparkling water or seltzer water is great to use, too.
- Sugar and Water - We're making a simple syrup to sweeten the lemonade, because I really dislike when sugar doesn't dissolve in my lemonade unless I'm making it Country Fair Style.
- Fresh Ginger - this is my secret ingredient, we're going to infuse the simple syrup with flavorful, spicy ginger. I absolutely love making a lovely ginger syrup for this lemonade recipe. It brings something different, a little spice along with our liquid sweetener. I feel it makes the bubbles more bubbly.
- Ice Cubes for serving
How to Make Sparkling Pink Lemonade
Step 1 | Make the simple syrup in a saucepan. It's really easy, just simmer for 15 minutes while the sugar dissolves in the water. Let it cool while you finish the rest of your lemonade.
Step 2 | Puree the berries with an immersion blender in a bowl or in a blender until smooth, then strain them through a fine mesh sieve to remove all those raspberry seeds and excess pulp. Don't forget to squeeze the lemon juice, too. You'll need a cup of it.
Step 3 | Pour the simple syrup, strained berry puree, and lemon juice into your pitcher. Top with soda water and stir until everything is combined.
Step 4 | Serve over ice and garnish with fresh strawberries and raspberries or use mint sprigs!
Pink Lemonade Variations
- Cranberry Pink Lemonade - cranberry juice tints the lemonade without making it overly sweet for this recipe.
- Watermelon Mint Lemonade - this is my Chick-fil-A copycat, another pretty pink summer -ready lemonade using fresh strained watermelon.
- Paloma Lemonade - this pink lemonade uses pink grapefruit soda to create a mocktail version of a classic paloma mixed with lemonade!
Make It a Cocktail!
- Strawberry Vodka Lemonade - made with a strawberry simple syrup instead of ginger, this cocktail is more strawberry flavored. Don't forget the vodka!
- Strawberry Mule - Use ginger beer instead of club soda and add 1 ounce of vodka per drink for a yummy strawberry moscow mule!
- Rosé Pink Lemonade - in lieu of the club soda, add in pink Rosé wine. Like a strawberry rossini!
Pro Tips and Substitutions
- The riper the lemons, the sweeter the lemon juice! Don't use shelf-stable lemon juice for this or it'll be incredibly sour.
- Use frozen lemonade cubes instead of water-based ice so they don't dilute the drink.
- Don't want puree in your lemonade? Add the berries into the simple syrup with the ginger instead, you'll end up with the berries leeching their flavor and color into the syrup for that perfectly clear classic pink lemonade vibe.
Storage Instructions
Save any leftover sparkling pink lemonade in a pitcher with a lid or cover the top with plastic wrap so the bubbles don't escape. It'll last for 3 days in the fridge.
Equipment Needed
- Blender or Immersion Blender - You could also mash the berries in a mortar and pestle, but it's much easier with a blender.
- Saucepan - to make the simple syrup.
- Citrus Juicer - this is my favorite way to juice citrus of any type!
- Fine Mesh Strainer - to strain the berry puree
- Pitcher - if you're making it ahead of time, get a pitcher with a lid so the bubbles stay in the lemonade.
- Long Spoon - to stir everything together.
FAQs
Lemonade is best with a type of sweetener, what type is up to you. I find most people lean towards agave nectar, honey, or monkfruit and stevia as a granulated sugar substitute.
The 'pink' in commercial pink lemonade is commonly fruit juices or syrups, sometimes food coloring. In homemade pink lemonade, it's often made with cranberry juice or fruit purees.
More Summer Sipping Recipes
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Sparkling Pink Lemonade
Ingredients
- ½ lb strawberries, washed
- 6 ounces raspberries, washed
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 1 liter club soda
- lemon slices, mint sprigs, fresh berries, garnish
Ginger Syrup:
- 1 (3-4 inches) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, add ginger, water and sugar, and stir well. Allow the water to come to a simmer at most, never to a boil, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until ginger flavor is as strong as you like. Let cool as you make the rest of the lemonade.1 (3-4 inches) fresh ginger, 2 cups water, 2 cups granulated sugar
- Puree the strawberries and raspberries in a blender or in a bowl with an immersion blender, then strain them through a mesh sieve. Set aside.½ lb strawberries, 6 ounces raspberries
- Pour in the lemon juice, strained berries, and half of the simple syrup into a pitcher. Pour the club soda over the lemonade mixture and stir well. Taste, and add more of the simple syrup if more sweetness is needed.1 cup lemon juice, 1 liter club soda
- Cover the pitcher with a lid or tightly with plastic wrap until ready to serve.
- Serve over ice and garnish with fresh berries, lemon slices, and mint sprigs.lemon slices, mint sprigs, fresh berries
Recipe Notes
Storage Instructions
Save any leftover sparkling pink lemonade in a pitcher with a lid or cover the top with plastic wrap so the bubbles don't escape. It'll last for 3 days in the fridge.
Pro Tips and Substitutions
-
- The riper the lemons, the sweeter the lemon juice! Don't use shelf-stable lemon juice for this or it'll be incredibly sour.
-
- Use frozen lemonade cubes instead of water-based ice so they don't dilute the drink.
-
- Don't want puree in your lemonade? Add the berries into the simple syrup with the ginger instead, you'll end up with the berries leeching their flavor and color into the syrup for that perfectly clear classic pink lemonade vibe.
Pink Lemonade Variations
-
- Cranberry Pink Lemonade - cranberry juice tints the lemonade without making it overly sweet for this recipe.
-
- Watermelon Mint Lemonade - this is my Chick-fil-A copycat, another pretty pink summer -ready lemonade using fresh strained watermelon.
-
- Paloma Lemonade - this pink lemonade uses pink grapefruit soda to create a mocktail version of a classic paloma mixed with lemonade!
Make It a Cocktail!
-
- Strawberry Vodka Lemonade - made with a strawberry simple syrup instead of ginger, this cocktail is more strawberry flavored. Don't forget the vodka!
-
- Strawberry Mule - Use ginger beer instead of club soda and add 1 ounce of vodka per drink for a yummy strawberry moscow mule!
-
- Rosé Pink Lemonade - in lieu of the club soda, add in pink Rosé wine. Like a strawberry rossini!
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