Refreshing Sparkling Lavender Lemonade with Fresh Rosemary
A sparkling lemonade infused with floral lavender and fresh rosemary, offering a refreshing and elegant twist on a classic summer drink. Perfect for outdoor entertaining and easy to prepare in under 20 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Beverage
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 6 medium fresh lemons (about 1 cup fresh lemon juice)
- 2 tablespoons dried culinary lavender buds or 3 tablespoons fresh
- 3–4 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 4 cups water (for syrup and dilution)
- 4 cups sparkling water (plain or lemon-flavored)
- Ice cubes (for serving)
- Lemon slices (for garnish)
- Extra rosemary sprigs (for garnish)
Instructions
- Make the lavender-rosemary syrup: In a saucepan, combine 1 cup water, granulated sugar, lavender buds, and rosemary sprigs. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Strain the syrup: Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Pour syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher, pressing lightly on solids to extract flavor. Discard solids.
- Juice the lemons: While syrup cools, juice lemons to yield about 1 cup fresh lemon juice. Strain to remove seeds and pulp if desired.
- Combine lemon juice and syrup: Add lemon juice to the cooled syrup in the pitcher and stir well.
- Add remaining water and chill: Pour in remaining 3 cups cold water to dilute. Adjust sweetness or tartness as needed by adding more sugar dissolved in warm water or more water.
- Just before serving, add sparkling water: Gently pour in 4 cups chilled sparkling water to preserve carbonation. Stir lightly.
- Serve over ice: Fill glasses or mason jars with ice cubes, pour lemonade, and garnish with lemon slices and a sprig of fresh rosemary.
Notes
Do not over-steep lavender or rosemary to avoid bitterness; 5 minutes simmering is sufficient. Strain syrup well for smooth texture. Add sparkling water just before serving to maintain fizz. Fresh rosemary sprig garnish enhances aroma. Syrup and lemon juice mixture can be refrigerated up to 3 days; add sparkling water just before serving. Adjust sugar to taste or substitute with honey, agave, stevia, or monk fruit sweetener for lower sugar options.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (8 fl oz)
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 23
- Sodium: 5
- Carbohydrates: 24
Keywords: sparkling lemonade, lavender lemonade, rosemary lemonade, refreshing drink, summer beverage, herbal lemonade, non-alcoholic drink, floral lemonade