Hard Lemonade

Our hard lemonade is a fun twist on original lemonade that will keep you refreshed and take your social events to the next level.

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Table of Contents

Hard Lemonade Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This Hard Lemonade Recipe
How To Serve
Storing This Homemade Hard Lemonade
Frequently Asked Questions
More Recipes You’ll Love
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Our homemade hard lemonade takes the classic sweetened fresh lemon juice and adds a bit of grown-up fun with vodka and limoncello liqueur. Enjoy a glass of this tasty fizzy drink to unwind at the end of the day, or share with friends the next time you have a gathering.

Hard Lemonade Ingredients

hard lemonade raw ingredients that are labeled

Hard lemonade is an exciting twist on the classic lemonade recipe. With a slightly fizzy texture and a sweet, tangy taste, every sip is like biting into a juicy lemon.

The addition of alcohol to this refreshing drink gives it a unique edge that’s perfect for unwinding after a long day.

You’ll need:

1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 4 to 5 large lemons
1½ cups of water, divided into ½ cup and 1 cup
½ cup of granulated sugar
6 ounces of vodka, good quality
3 ounces of limoncello lemon liqueur
Sparkling water
Fresh lemon slices for garnish

Substitutions And Additions

LIMONCELLO: If you do not have limoncello liqueur, you can easily substitute it with 4 tablespoons of frozen lemon juice concentrate and add an additional 3 ounces of vodka.

VODKA: You do not have to use top-shelf vodka, but I do, however, recommend using a good quality one that you enjoy drinking. There are also many flavored vodka choices that you could use instead of regular vodka for a fruity spin on your lemonade.

ALCOHOL: If you do not care for vodka, light (or clear) rum is also a tasty choice.

LEMONS: If you do not want to use real lemons, you can use a good quality fresh-made lemonade from your local grocer. Just omit the addition of sugar and water in the recipe.

LIQUEUR: There are so many choices for the flavor of lemonade you create with this recipe. You can stick with the limoncello for a classic lemonade taste, or you can fancy it up. Replace the limoncello with strawberry liqueur to turn your lemonade into a strawberry lemonade. Or how about a black cherry liqueur for a yummy black cherry lemonade?

How To Make This Hard Lemonade Recipe

Let’s walk through the easy steps to making this refreshing summer drink.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

You can easily double or half this recipe according to how many people you are serving.

STEP ONE: Juice fresh lemons with a hand or electric juicer, then pour the fresh lemon juice into a 32-ounce (1 quart) sized mason jar. Set aside.

lemon juice being poured into a mason jar

STEP TWO: In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup of water and the sugar. On low heat, simmer just until the sugar dissolves.

STEP THREE: Pour the sugar water (simple syrup) into the mason jar with the lemon juice.

sugar water poured into a jar of lemon juice

STEP FOUR: Add the remaining 1 cup of water and stir well.

STEP FIVE: Add the vodka and limoncello liqueur. Mix well. At this point, you can put a lid on the jar and place it in the refrigerator to chill for 1 to 2 hours or until you are ready to make individual servings.

PRO TIP:

If you don’t like your alcoholic drinks too strong, you can go lighter on the vodka and limoncello if you wish.

vodka and limoncello liqueur added to the jar

STEP SIX: When ready to serve, fill a 16-ounce (1 pint) sized mason jar with ice and a couple of fresh lemon slices. Pour in lemonade concentrate until about ¾ full, then top with sparkling water.

PRO TIP:

Add a fun striped straw to your glass to make your hard lemonade cocktail extra fancy.

How To Serve

Summer drinks are a great way to enjoy the hot weather (or pretend the weather is hot) and share some good times with good company.

Serve up a pitcher of this refreshing drink along with appetizers on a weekend afternoon. Try our jalapeño popper dip or million dollar dip with chips and veggies to enjoy with your tasty drink.

For your friends and underage guests, try our iced tea, raspberry iced tea, sweet peach iced tea, or our southern strawberry sweet tea.

Our alcoholic lemonade is not the only adult drink we can help you with. Check out our wine slushies, and White Claw slushie.

MORE ALCOHOLIC DRINK RECIPES

Drinks

Pink Starburst Cocktail

Drinks

Alcoholic Frozen Lemonade

Storing This Homemade Hard Lemonade

Let’s have a quick look at how to store the lemonade so that you can whip up another glass later.

IN THE FRIDGE: This concentrated mixture can be stored in a jar with a tight-fitting lid for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

IN THE FREEZER: We don’t recommend freezing this hard lemonade cocktail. It is best made fresh.

close up overhead shot of hard lemonade in a glass jar with slices of lemon

Flavorful lemonade meets a grown-up twist with this hard lemonade recipe. Your taste buds will thank you for this fizzy hard seltzer and tangy lemon flavor that will keep you cool when the weather is warm.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I pick the best lemons?

There are a few things you need to look for when purchasing lemons. Thinner skinned lemons will give you more juice, as will lemons that are heavy for their size and give a little when you squeeze them. The lemon skin should also be bright with no wrinkles.

Can I use flavored vodka instead of plain?

You can certainly use flavored vodka, but make sure you are not mixing too many flavors, or the lemonade taste will get lost in the mix.

Can I use store-bought lemonade in this recipe instead of squeezing my own?

You can replace fresh-squeezed lemonade with store-bought if you are trying to make this recipe go a bit faster. The most flavorful version of this recipe will be one that uses freshly squeezed lemon juice, though.

More Recipes You’ll Love

Hard Lemonade

5 from 2 votes

Our hard lemonade is a fun twist on original lemonade that will keep you refreshed and take your social events to the next level.

Prep Time 15

Total Time 2 15

Servings

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Ingredients

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 4 to 5 large lemons
1½ cups water, divided into ½ cup and 1 cup
½ cup granulated sugar
6 ounces vodka, good quality
3 ounces limoncello lemon liqueur
sparkling water
fresh lemon slices, for garnish

Instructions

Juice fresh lemons with a hand or electric juicer, then pour the juice into a 32-ounce (1 quart) sized mason jar. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup of water and the sugar. On low heat, simmer just until the sugar has dissolved.
Pour the sugar water (simple syrup) into the mason jar with the lemon juice.
Add the remaining 1 cup of water and stir well.
Add the vodka and limoncello liquor. Mix well. At this point, you can put a lid on the jar and place it in the refrigerator to chill for 1 to 2 hours or until you are ready to make individual servings.
When ready to serve, fill a 16-ounce (1 pint) sized mason jar with ice and a couple of fresh lemon slices. Pour in lemonade concentrate until about ¾ full, then top with sparkling water.

Notes

You can easily double or half this recipe according to how many people you are serving.
If you don’t like your alcoholic drinks too strong, you can go lighter on the vodka and limoncello if you wish.
Add a fun striped straw to your glass to make your hard lemonade cocktail extra fancy.

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!