Mixed Drink Monday: Raspberry Lemonade

I've made many variations of lemonade over the years which seems right considering how perfectly summery it is as a drink and also how much my boys (Matt and Luke) like it.  I buy the powder mix for parties and just to have on hand for something quick over the summer (and I like mixing it with my sun tea).  However, there is something so satisfying about squeezing some lemons and making real lemonade from scratch. 

This one has some raspberries added in which always gives drinks the best color but also some good flavor.  This is going to be slightly more complicated than just making a powder mix (it's really hard to get easier than that) but it's still pretty simple and doesn't take a lot of time.  As long as you can handle squeezing some lemons, you can pretty much handle this.  It makes for a slightly fancier lemonade and I think most people will be impressed you made it from scratch!


One year ago: Pineapple Vodka Limeade
Two years ago: Pineapple Mimosa
Three years ago: Long Island Iced Tea
Four years ago: Red, White, and Blue Sangria
Five years ago: Strawberry Coconut Margarita and Strawberry Lemonade
 

Raspberry Lemonade
yield: a decent sized pitcher
Ingredients
-¼ cup honey
-6 oz raspberries (fresh or frozen)
-1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
-6 cups of water, divided

Directions
1) Combine the water and honey in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the honey has dissolved.  Add the raspberries and simmer until they have broken down, about 5 minutes.
2) Combine the raspberry mixture in a blender with the lemon juice, until smooth.  Strain if you'd like to remove the seeds (I didn't because I forgot to take a sieve to the lake and it was fine).
3) In a large pitcher, whisk together the raspberry/lemon mixture and the last 5 cups of water.  Refrigerate until chilled.  Enjoy!

Source: modified from Darn Delicious

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In the summer I aim to make a new drink every week and share them all here, good or bad!  See them all in chronological order by following the "Mixed Drink Monday" tag here or check out my favorites by scrolling down to "Mixed Drink Monday" on my recipes page!