Refreshing Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade with Honey and Mint

Let’s talk about my favorite childhood pastime: running a lemonade stand.

Vertical image of two glass jars of ice and pink lemonade, with red and white paper straws, mint sprigs, and lemon garnish, with a glass pitcher in the background and scattered citrus and fresh herbs, on a gray surface with a blue background, printed with red and white text at the midpoint and bottom of the frame.

Did any of you open one of these when you were a child?

When I was younger, this was one of my favorite things to do on a summer afternoon. I would spend hours designing a cute giant sign, with tons of colors and flowers, suns and hearts.

My mom would help me juice lemons (yes, we actually made the drink I sold from scratch) and we would make giant pitchers of the stuff to chill in the fridge.

Vertical image of two mason jars of raspberry lemonade with mint and lemon garnish and a pitcher of more of the beverage in the background, surrounded by sprigs of fresh herbs and cut and squeezed citrus fruit on a gray surface, with a mottled blue and white background.

When the afternoon came around, I would set up my little table. My sign would get taped to the front, I would get covered in sunscreen, and there I would sit.

Thankfully, my mom and I lived in a townhouse that was right on the corner where the cars would enter the neighborhood.

All I can say is that I made money at that lemonade stand. It was the best way for me to save, and at the end of the summer, my mom would let me buy whatever I wanted before the first day of school.

Overhead vertical image of a pitcher and two glasses of raspberry lemonade with sprigs of mint and lemon slices for garnish, with squeezed fruit and a juicer to the right and fresh herbs to the left, and red and white paper straws.

To this day, I drive around my neighborhood in the summer and see cute little lemonade stands popping up on various corners. I always stop to buy a glass whenever I can.

It always made my day when people would stop their cars and I’d deliver them a chilled glass of lemonade in exchange for a quarter or two.

So, I kind of feel this need to pass on the feeling to any kid that I pass at a homemade stand. Don’t you? They are always just so darn adorable sitting at their table and waving like crazy for you to stop and get some refreshment.

Vertical oblique image of raspberry lemonade in a glass pitcher and two Mason jars, with pink and white straws, citrus garnish, and fresh mint, on a gray surface with a mottled blue background.

This particular recipe is one that is for kiddos and grownups alike. It has the traditional flavors of lemonade that you know and love so much, with a little something extra going on.

You start with a homemade simple syrup made with honey and mint. Then you add a fresh raspberry puree and a hefty amount of lemon juice.

All those flavors meld together in the refrigerator as it chills.

Vertical image of a hand holding a mason jar of pink lemonade with ice, with a red and white paper straw, a wheel of yellow citrus, and a sprig of mint, on a mottled blue background.

The drink tastes bright and tangy, with a nice little hint of fresh mint at the end of each sip. Talk about refreshing, let me tell you! It’s like your favorite homemade lemonade recipe, with a ton more flavor and variety than the usual.

The best part of this recipe is that when it is served, you top it all off with a splash of sparkling water.

This gives the drink a little extra lightness and lift, not to mention the bubbles tickle your nose in the best way possible. It’s the best way to bring effervescence to any drink, and we use it in a variety of beverages, like this lemonade and other mocktails.

It’s that bright happiness that simply embodies summer in a glass.

Who else is ready for summer? You can be sure this girl is. As long as I have a glass of this sparkling goodness in hand, it will always be summer in my book.

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Horizontal image of two Mason jars of raspberry lemonade with ice, with red and white straws, lemons, and mint, with a glass pitcher in the background against a blue wall, on a gray surface.

Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade


  • Author: Meghan Yager
  • Total Time: 4 hrs, 20 min
  • Yield: 6-8 servings 1x

Description

Enjoy the ultimate glass of refreshment with this sparkling raspberry lemonade, made with fresh berries, citrus, and mint.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups water
  • 1/2 cup honey, or more to taste
  • 20 mint leaves (from 34 sprigs), plus more for garnish
  • 2 cups fresh raspberries
  • 2 cups fresh lemon juice (from about 11 medium lemons)
  • 3 1/2 cups sparkling water, chilled

Instructions

  1. To make the simple syrup, begin by heating 3 cups of water, 1/2 cup honey, and mint leaves in a medium saucepan over moderate heat. Continue heating, stirring frequently, until honey is fully incorporated and dissolved.
  2. Cover and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain out mint leaves and set syrup aside.
  3. Puree 2 cups fresh raspberries in a blender. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds. Set aside.
  4. In a tall pitcher, combine honey water with lemon juice and strained raspberry puree. Stir to combine.
  5. Chill mixture in the refrigerator until very cold, about 4 hours. Serve 5 ounces in each glass, topped with 3 ounces sparkling water.
  6. Garnish with mint and serve.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Lemonade
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Beverages

Keywords: mocktail, cocktail, raspberry lemonade, lemonade

Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Juice Lemons and Measure Remaining Ingredients

Vertical image of lemons, a stainless steel bowl of raspberries, and sprigs of fresh mint on a gray surface.

Juice about 11 lemons or enough to make 2 cups of fresh lemon juice. Make sure to strain out any seeds. Set aside.

Overhead horizontal image of a stainless steel bowl of lemon juice beside three halves of squeezed fruit, on a mottle gray and white surface.

Measure out the remaining ingredients as listed in the ingredients list.

Step 2 – Make Simple Syrup

Add water, honey, and mint leaves to a medium saucepan and place it over moderate heat. Stir frequently, until the honey has been fully incorporated and dissolved.

Horizontal image of a small saucepan of honey syrup and fresh mint leaves, on a mottled gray and white surface.

Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain out the mint leaves and set the syrup aside.

Step 3 – Puree Fruit

Fresh raspberries in the bottom of a plastic blender canister, on a gray surface.

Add 2 cups of fresh raspberries to a blender.

Overhead image of a plastic countertop blender with red berry puree at the bottom, on a gray and white surface.

Strain the puree through a fine mesh strainer or chinois to remove seeds.

Horizontal image of fresh raspberry lemonade being pushed through a fine mesh strainer into a light blue glass bowl with a red silicone spatula on a gray background.

Set aside.

Overhead horizontal image of a white bowl of raspberry puree, on a gray background.

Add the flavored simple syrup to a tall pitcher with the lemon juice and strained raspberry puree.

A wooden spoon stirs a foamy red fruit mixture in a glass pitcher, on a gray surface.

Stir well to combine.

Step 4 – Chill and Serve

Place the pitcher in the refrigerator until it’s very cold.

A wooden spoon stirs a pureed raspberry mixture in a glass pitcher, on a gray surface.

When it’s fully chilled, give it another stir. Pour about 5 ounces into each glass. Top each glass with 3 ounces of sparkling water and garnish with mint. Serve immediately.

Want to Turn This Summertime Mocktail into a Cocktail?

If you want to add a little something extra to this raspberry lemonade, you certainly can. I recommend adding about 1 ounce of vodka to your glass when you serve it, for a refreshing cocktail.

This is a fun way to make an adult beverage for those who wish to partake, while you’re still able to pour lemonade from the pitcher to serve it to the kids and non-drinkers at the same time.

Horizontal image of two Mason jars of raspberry lemonade with ice, with red and white straws, lemons, and mint, with a glass pitcher in the background against a blue wall, on a gray surface.

For more lemonade recipes, check out the following:

Will you enjoy this lemonade as is, or add a little vodka to it? Tell us in the comments below and be sure to come back to rate the recipe.

Photos by Meghan Yager, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published by Shanna Mallon on August 14, 2012. Last updated: May 5, 2023 at 15:18 pm.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Meghan Yager

Meghan Yager is a food addict turned food and travel writer with a love for creating uncomplicated, gourmet recipes and devouring anything the world serves up. As the author of the food and travel blog Cake 'n Knife, Meghan focuses on unique foodie experiences from around the world to right at home in your own kitchen.

10 thoughts on “Refreshing Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade with Honey and Mint”

  1. Sometimes you can’t beat a drink with a bit of sparkle – I bet the bubbles help to get all those raspberry and lemon flavors dancing on the tongue. I love thinking about you running errands with your father -adorable!

    Reply
    • There is this tea shop in Chicago, Argo Tea, that I used to get a “sparkle tea” from sometimes. It was basically an iced, sweetened tea with sparkling water and it. was. amazing. I swear that sparkle changes everything!

      Reply
  2. I love it! Reminds me of a slightly more adult version of the raspberry sorbet, lemonade and 7-Up punch that was so popular at parties in my grade school days.

    Reply
  3. I know we’re going into fall and everyone is into pumpkin spice this and pumpkin spice that, but I keep coming back to this lemonade recipe! It’s so tasty. Give me fruit any day over sickly sweet pumpkin spice. Thanks for the share!

    Reply

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