Easy Turkish Lemonade with Mint (Refreshing Limonata)
This Turkish lemonade (limonata) is a sunlit, easy-to-make drink that captures the bright, tart character of fresh lemons softened by a touch of sweetness and cooling mint. I love the slightly rustic technique of blending lemons with a little water and sugar, which gives the drink a fuller lemon flavor than plain juice.
It’s wonderfully flexible — serve it fizzy with sparkling water for a party, make a pitcher for a hot afternoon, or keep a simple syrup on hand to speed things up. Follow the steps below and you’ll have a gloriously refreshing, authentic-feeling limonata in about 15 minutes.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
-
1
Make a quick syrup: in a small saucepan combine sugar and 1/2 cup water. Warm over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool 3–5 minutes (or use 2 tbsp warm water to dissolve sugar if short on time).
-
2
Wash lemons well. Quarter them, remove any visible seeds, and trim away a bit of the bitter white pith if it’s thick (you can also peel thinly if you prefer less bitterness).
-
3
Place the quartered lemons in a blender with the cooled syrup and 1 1/2 cups cold water. Add the pinch of salt (it brightens the flavor). Blend on high until the lemons are very smooth, about 30–45 seconds.
-
4
Strain the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the pulp (or save for a lemony scrub).
-
5
Add the sparkling water and gently stir to combine. Taste and adjust sweetness by adding a little more simple syrup or water if it’s too sweet or strong.
-
6
Bruise the mint leaves by clapping them between your palms or gently crushing with a spoon to release aroma, then add most to the pitcher, reserving a few sprigs for garnish.
-
7
Fill glasses with ice, pour the limonata, garnish with lemon slices and mint sprigs, and serve immediately chilled.
-
8
To make ahead: keep the strained lemon base refrigerated for up to 2 days and add sparkling water just before serving for best fizz.
Ingredients
- Fresh lemons:6 pieces
- Granulated sugar:3/4 cup
- Cold water (for blending):2 cups
- Sparkling water:2 cups
- Fresh mint leaves:12 pieces
- Ice cubes:2 cups
- Salt:1/8 tsp
- Lemon slices (for garnish):4 pieces
Tips & Notes
- If you prefer a less pulpy drink, pour the strained limonata through cheesecloth for an extra-clear finish.
- Use sparkling water just before serving to preserve bubbles; you can swap for all still water if you want a non-fizzy version.
- Adjust sweetness by adding more or less syrup—start conservative, as chilled drinks taste less sweet than warm ones.
