Around this time of year, I start to really look forward to the warmer days ahead and all the food and activities that come with it. That means gardening, grilling, and of course having refreshing drinks while sitting out on the deck and soaking in some Vitamin D.
Luckily, Memorial Day weekend brings with it the perfect opportunity to kick-off all these fun summer things! Let’s make your first gathering of the season extra special with these unique drink recipes.
This first recipe is for my matcha lovers. I know I already have a matcha drink recipe up on the blog, but this one is a completely different flavor combination and has no milk which makes it especially great for family gatherings and pleasing a wide audience.
And as someone who has to watch their sugar intake, I also love that this recipe uses less sugar than seen in most lemonade recipes. You also have a lot of flexibility by being able to swap out the berries for the syrup or even swap in some store bought options to make this drink in a pinch.
Raspberry Matcha Lemonade
Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins
Ingredients:
Raspberry Sauce:
- ⅔ cup water
- ⅔ cup white sugar
- 1 cup of raspberries
- Alternatively, you can use store bought raspberry syrup or another flavor.
Homemade Lemonade
- 1 cup of fresh lemon juice
- 4-5 cups water
- Alternatively, you can use store bought lemonade.
Raspberry Matcha Lemonade
- 2 tablespoons of matcha
- 1 cup of water
Instructions:
- I used the raspberry syrup recipe here but you can also swap this out for a store bought fruit syrup of your choice. OR you can try the recipe above using blackberries or strawberries.
- Squeeze 3-4 lemons or until you get a cup of fresh lemon juice. Strain and set aside in a bowl.
- Add 4-5 cups of water to a large pitcher and stir in lemon juice.
- Mix hot water and matcha powder in a bowl.
- Pour mixture into the pitcher with fresh lemonade and stir well.
- Add raspberry syrup to taste.
- Garnish with raspberries or lemon slices.
If you don’t enjoy matcha as much myself, don’t worry! This next drink is for those of you who love a nice refreshing seltzer. My husband and I just recently bought a SodaStream and we’ve been having a lot of fun creating our own fun mixes using fresh fruit and flavored syrups. Even without one though, you can still enjoy this next drink by just buying some sparkling water at the store.
Sparkling Raspberry Lemon Water
Total Time: 30 mins
Ingredients:
Raspberry Sauce:
- ⅔ cup water
- ⅔ cup white sugar
- 1 cup of raspberries
- Alternatively, you can use store bought raspberry syrup or another flavor.
Homemade Lemonade with sparkling water
- 1 cup of fresh lemon juice
- 4-5 cups sparkling water
Instructions:
Steps 1 and 2 are the same as in the first recipe above.
3. Instead of filling a pitcher with water, use sparkling water.
4. Stir in lemon juice and raspberry syrup.
5. Garnish with raspberries, lemon slices, and or fresh mint leaves.
These drinks will not only look beautiful at your next family party, but they will also keep everyone refreshed and hydrated. Have a happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend everyone!
