Strawberry Lemonade (Restaurant Style) (2024)

There is nothing like fresh Strawberry Lemonade. If you are craving something cold and refreshing, this is it! Adding fresh strawberries to Classic Lemonade makes it sweet and tangy.

This is my favorite restaurant drink and I especially love getting those bits of fresh strawberry in the straw. It’s actually very easy to make it at home for a fraction of the price.

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Strawberry Lemonade Recipe

Strawberry Lemonade makes for a great party drink. If you have a bunch of lemons and prefer to make lemonade from scratch, you can start with fresh-squeezed lemonade. For a larger crowd, there’s no shame in pulling a can of store-bought lemonade out of the freezer. You’ll find instructions below for both methods.

• Homemade lemonade (1 recipe makes 10 cups), or Frozen Concentrate*
• Strawberries – blend until smooth to add fresh strawberry taste and rosy color.
• Basil – this is optional, but a small handful of basil adds exciting flavor.
• Lemon Slices – add 1 slice to each glass for garnish if desired.
• Ice – add the ice as needed and add just before serving so it doesn’t dilute the lemonade.

*If using Frozen Lemonade: Use a 12 oz can of frozen Lemonade Concentrate and prepare according to the package instructions. This is typically 1 can of concentrate mixed with 4 1/3 cans of water.

How to Make Strawberry Lemonade

1. Make lemonade – prepare homemade lemonade or from concentrate and pour lemonade into a pitcher.
2. Strawberries – combine 3/4 of your strawberries with a small handful of basil in a good blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
3. Combine – stir strawberry basil mixture into lemonade.
4. To Serve – pour lemonade over glasses of ice and garnish with remaining strawberries and lemon slices.

Pro Tip: For ice-cold lemonade, keep the lemonade pitcher refrigerated until ready to serve then pour over glasses with some ice just before serving. The ice won’t melt as quickly if your lemonade is chilled to begin with.

Tips for the Best Strawberry Lemonade

We’ve all been there, you’re desperately thirsty and want to gulp down that strawberry lemonade but there’s a strawberry lodged in the straw. If you are going to be drinking through a straw or using a drink dispenser, you will want to:

• Blend strawberries really well so they don’t get stuck in your straw and won’t clog up the spout on a drink dispenser.
• Strain if desired – if you want a super smooth and pulp-free lemonade, you can strain the strawberry puree before adding it to the lemonade. We love the pulp so we never strain it.
• Add ice to the glasses (not the pitcher) so you don’t dilute your lemonade

Can I use Frozen Strawberries?

Yes! You can still enjoy strawberry lemonade in winter by substituting it with frozen strawberries. Frozen strawberries in sugar will also work but keep in mind the syrup is very sweet so you may need to add more water to your finished lemonade.

You can also experiment with different berries to make Raspberry Lemonade, a sparkling Cherry Lemonade, or even Blackberry Limeade.

More Refreshing Drinks

Try these thirst-quenching awesome Summer drinks. We’re particularly smitten with the fizzy bubbly drinks, which are always crowd pleasers!

• Lemonade – so crisp and refreshing
• Cranberry Pineapple Punch – a favorite year-round
• Iced Coffee keeps well in the fridge for weeks
• Raspberry Sherbet Punch – always disappears fast
• Brazilian Lemonade – a limeade flavor sensation
• Flavored Water – healthy and guilt-free

This strawberry lemonade recipe was first published in 2012 and here is the original photo. We updated the photos and added instructions for using fresh or frozen lemonade.