Lilac Lemonade

Lilacs have a very short season, and I love using them in recipes while they last. Lilac lemonade has a delicate floral flavour without being overwhelming.

This lemonade requires the syrup to be made in advance, and it’s a cold infusion, so plan for at least 24 hours ahead. You could do a hot infusion but I find lilacs in particular suffer from being steeped in a hot syrup.

It’s refreshing, just lightly sweet, and a beautiful naturally pink lemonade. I know lilac season has ended for many by now, but we’ve had a particularly cold spring, and in some northern regions they’re just beginning. If yours are already finished, just save the recipe for next year!

Ingredients

• Lilac Syrup: half the recipe is finished if you’ve already made the syrup. This sweetens and flavours the lemonade.
• Lemons: fresh, for juice – you want some of the lemon bits in the drink, too.
• Water: cold tap (or filtered), or use sparkling water.

Notes and Substitutions

There aren’t many possible substitutions for this recipe. Try it with sparkling water instead of still for a homemade pop, but otherwise it’s much easier to add than take away.

Mix in some muddles berries, like raspberries or strawberries, for a fruity lemonade. If you’d like a cocktail, I think vodka is probably best, but I haven’t tried it.

I served with lilac ice cubes – just blossoms frozen in water – but note that once the ice thaws, the flowers start to turn brown. They look very pretty for about half an hour but if you haven’t finished your drink by then the blossoms start to look less appealing.

More Spring Drinks

Honey Rhubarb Lemonade
Strawberry Slush with Lime
Elderflower Lemonade
Strawberry Milk
Elderflower Lime Spring Mocktail

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