Peach Lemonade
Peach Lemonade is a tasty, refreshing drink combining classic homemade lemonade, mint simple syrup, and fresh peach puree...sure to become a new summertime favorite!
I am so excited about today's recipe, y'all. I don't know why Peach Lemonade never occurred to me before. Strawberry lemonade? Sure. Peach tea? Of course.
But to take my favorite summer fruit and combine it with my favorite summer drink? Brilliant.
I promise I'm not trying to toot my own horn here. It's just that this particular combo of flavors turned out to be really, really yummy. And that is due, in no small part, to the fact that this Peach Lemonade also incorporates mint!
How to Make Minty Peach Lemonade
There's just something so delicious and refreshing about adding mint to drinks, don't you think? Whether it's tea or punch or a cocktail, a little bit of mint packs a whole lot of flavor. My favorite way to use mint in beverages is to incorporate it into a simple syrup.
Make the Mint Simple Syrup
Doing so is quick and easy!
- Boil together water + sugar to a syrup-like consistency.
- Add fresh mint leaves and allow them to steep while the syrup cools.
- Strain the syrup and discard the mint leaves.
You should end up with a little over 1 cup of simple syrup.
Purée the Peaches
While the mint simple syrup is cooling, prep your peaches:
- Cut peaches into chunks and purée them in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Pour the purée into a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl, pushing it through with a spoon. Discard any skin and solids left in the sieve.
And finally, it's time for the fun part!
Assemble the Peach Lemonade
- Combine the mint simple syrup, the peach purée, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and cold water in a large pitcher.
- Refrigerate until chilled or serve immediately over ice!
Why Not Muddle?
Unlike muddling the mint, making a simple syrup eliminates the concern of sucking up a fragment of a mint leaf through your straw.
And I don't know about you, but when I'm kicked back in my wooden rocking chair on my expansive front porch sipping on a tall glass of icy lemonade, the last thing I want to worry about is gagging on a mint leaf.
Okay, so I don't really have a wooden rocking chair.
Or an expansive front porch.
Or the time to leisurely sit and sip on anything.
But a gal can occasionally daydream that life is like a lazy summer day on a Country Time Lemonade commercial, right?
And if bickering or whining kids snap her back to reality a bit too quickly, she can just channel serenity for a moment longer by sucking down her minty Peach Lemonade with a little more vigor.
Or, if all else fails, I hear this lemonade is also quite tasty with a splash of vodka. 😉
More Refreshing Summer Drinks
- Homemade Gatorade
- Cucumber Water with Mint
- Strawberry Lemonade Mojitos (OR Faux-jitos)
- Sparkling Pineapple Sangria
- Spiked Arnold Palmer Drink
Minty Peach Lemonade
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cup water, DIVIDED
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup packed mint leaves
- 4 medium peaches
- 1 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Prepare mint simple syrup by combining ¾ cup water and sugar in a small pot. Set pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Stir until sugar dissolves and then remove from heat. Add mint and allow to steep until syrup has cooled. Strain and discard mint leaves. You should end up with a little over 1 cup of simple syrup.
- While syrup is cooling, wash peaches, remove pits, and cut in chunks. Puree peach chunks in a blender or small food processor until smooth. Set a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and pour in peach puree, pushing it through using the back of a spoon. Discard skins/solids. You should end up with about 1 cup of peach puree.
- In a pitcher, mix together 1 cup mint simple syrup, peach puree, fresh lemon juice, and remaining 2 cups water (store any leftover simple syrup in the fridge for another use). Refrigerate lemonade until chilled and/or serve over ice.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- Feel free to adjust this recipe to your taste, adding more water, lemon juice or simple syrup.
- This recipe can easily be halved or multiplied. Basically, you just need to use 1 part simple syrup, 1 part peach puree, 1 part lemon juice, and 2 parts water.
- If possible, make sure that all of the components of your Peach Lemonade are chilled before combining them.
Nutrition
Originally published June 25, 2014.
