This Patriotic lemonade is traditional lemonade sweetened with simple syrup and full of fresh fruit. A refreshing, kid-friendly drink that’s perfect for hot summer days and holiday gatherings.
Looking for the pefrfect red, white, and blue party drink?
Well, look no further than this delicious homemade Patriotic lemonade!
It’s made with fresh squeezed lemons, a touch of freshly squeezed orange, and filled with fresh fruit.
To make it extra special I even cute the watermelon into star shapes! It really gives the watermelon that holiday party feel!
I also give you a simple recipe for homemade simple syrup so you can make this lemonade as sweet, or tart, as you like!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for patriotic lemonade
- Lemon juice – I like to use freshly squeezed lemon juice because I think the flavor is a lot better than most bottled lemon juices. However, bottled will work here.
- Orange juice – The use of the orange is to cut the acidity of the lemon juice. You can opt to leave it out but I think it really rounds out the flavor. You’ll want to freshly squeeze it as using orange juice from a bottle can sometimes be too sweet.
- Water – This is what we use to fill out the lemonade.
- Simple syrup – I made a homemade simple syrup that is perfect for this lemonade. It incorporates easily into the lemonade and you can adjust the sweetness by adding more or less.
Cutting the star-shaped fruit
It’s no secrete I’m a sucker for decorating festive summer holiday treats with star-shaped fruit!
My No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake and my Red White and Blueberry Sour Cream Tart are both great examples of this!
Cutting your watermelon into star shaped pieces is optional but I think it gives this lemonade the “patriotic” twist that is perfect for Fourth of July, Memorial Day, or even Labor Day.
Step one:
Thinly slice your watermelon.
I used a baby mini watermelon here but you can use whatever seedless variety you can find.
Step two:
The easiest way to cut your watermelon into star shapes is by using a small mini star cutter! If you scroll up 2 photos you’ll see mine in the photographs.
If you can’t get your hands on a small mini star cutter you can also freehand cut them.
Step three:
Abandon the star shaped idea and cut the watermelon into cubes.
It’s still cute becuase it’s still got the whole red, white, and blue thing going on.
What to serve with lemonade
I’ll take my lemonade plain, with a side, or even with dessert.
Here are a few delicious dishes that would go great a summer holiday party!
- Want a classic bbq side? Try my super simple Easy Bacon Baked Beans!
- Craving something old fashioned? How about my Classic Macaroni Salad?
- How about something refreshing and light? You gotta try The Best Cucumber Salad!
- Need a showstopper of a burger? Try my Chipotle Chicken Burgers with Mango Salsa!
Adding alcohol to homemade lemonade
If you want to take this lemonade to the next level I recommend adding in some regular or flavored vodka.
Easy and delicious!
More Fourth of July recipes
- Fourth of July Bundt Cake
- Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
- Fourth of July Cupcakes
- Red White and Blueberry Sour Cream Tart
Patriotic Lemonade
Ingredients
For simple syrup
- 1-1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
For lemonade
- 1-1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 6 cup water
- 2 pears peeled and chopped
- 1 mini watermelon peeled, sliced and cut into star shapes
- 3/4 cup fresh blueberries
Instructions
For simple syrup:
- In a small pot add sugar and water.
- Bring to a boil, stir, and once the sugar is dissolved remove from heat and set aside to cool.
For lemonade:
- In a large pitcher add lemon juice, orange juice, water, and fruit.
- Stir to combine.
- Add simple syrup to taste. For a sweeter lemonade, you may want to add all the syrup.
Nutrition
