Hard Lemonade

Name: Hard Lemonade
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 135 min
Ingredients: 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 to 5 large lemons); 1 ½ cup water (divided); ½ cup granulated sugar; 6 ounces vodka (good quality); 3 ounces limoncello lemon liqueur; sparkling water; fresh lemon slices (for garnish)

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

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Lemonade is always a refreshing and delicious choice to cool down. 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.

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

MORE ALCOHOLIC DRINK RECIPES:
Mango Mojito | Screwdriver Cocktail

HARD LEMONADE INGREDIENTS

You will need:

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 4 to 5 large lemons
1½ cups water, divided
½ cup 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 lemon, 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

PRO TIP: 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.

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.

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.

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.

STORAGE

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

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.

FAQ

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 1 vote

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

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Servings

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Ingredients

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice about 4 to 5 large lemons
1 ½ cup water divided
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.