Fresh Maple, Mint, or Vanilla Lemonade

Usually when I'm out at a restaurant, I'll order one of three drinks: coffee, alcohol, or the occasional kombucha. This all changed when one sweltering summer day I was at my favorite breakfast spot, Junior's, and ordered their 'Old Fashioned Lemonade' that they make in-house. It was a tad muggy in the restaurant (it's a small place), and I had already drank my fill of coffee for the morning, so I craved something that would cool me down. This lemonade was the perfect sweet and tart creation, taking me back to being a kid at the mall and slurping lemonade from Hot Dog on a Stick - but obviously better. Not too long after this experience I was working at a bakery that made their own mint lemonade and I learned exactly how easy it was to recreate that sweet thrill. Here's three options: maple if you don't want processed sugar (you could also experiment with agave nectar), mint for the perfect hot weather treat (or use it as a cocktail mixer, I don't mind), and vanilla for that little extra comfort. So much better than anything you'll find in a can or carton!

Fresh Lemonade

Yield :: 4 servings

Ingredients

For maple lemonade:

• 3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 3 cups water

For mint or vanilla lemonade:

• 1 cup water combined with 1 cup sugar, brought to a boil in a small pot to dissolve the sugar
• 3 cups cold water
• 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup mint leaves OR 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

 Procedure

For maple lemonade: simply combine all ingredients well. Chill or serve over ice.

For mint lemonade: Add mint leaves to the hot or warm dissolved sugar mixture. Allow to steep for 10-20 minutes, until mint leaves are wilted and the sugar mixture is fragrant. Remove mint leaves. Pour cold water into the dissolved sugar mixture and stir to combine. Add lemon juice. Chill or serve over ice.

For vanilla (or classic) lemonade: Pour cold water into the dissolved sugar mixture and stir to combine. Add lemon juice and vanilla (omit vanilla for classic lemonade). Chill or serve over ice.