DIY Lemonade Bar Flavor Syrups (Printable version)

Festive bar with classic lemonade and homemade fruity syrups for any celebration. Guests mix their favorite flavors.

# What You'll Need:

→ Lemonade Base

01 - 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (approximately 10–12 lemons)
02 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
03 - 10 cups cold water
04 - Lemon slices, for garnish
05 - Mint sprigs, for garnish
06 - Ice cubes

→ Strawberry Syrup

07 - 1 cup hulled and chopped strawberries
08 - 1/2 cup water
09 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar

→ Blueberry Syrup

10 - 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
11 - 1/2 cup water
12 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar

→ Mint Syrup

13 - 1 cup water
14 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
15 - 1 cup fresh mint leaves

→ Peach Syrup

16 - 1 cup peeled and chopped peaches, fresh or frozen
17 - 1/2 cup water
18 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar

# How to Make:

01 - In a large pitcher, mix freshly squeezed lemon juice with granulated sugar. Stir thoroughly until all sugar is completely dissolved.
02 - Pour in cold water, stirring to blend evenly. Refrigerate lemonade until serving time.
03 - For each fruit syrup, combine the respective fruit, granulated sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Mash fruit gently with a spoon to release juice. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean jar, discarding solids. Allow syrup to cool completely before use.
04 - In a small saucepan, heat water and granulated sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add fresh mint leaves, and steep for 15 minutes. Strain syrup into a jar, discarding mint leaves, and cool to room temperature.
05 - Arrange chilled lemonade in a large beverage dispenser. Decant each syrup into labeled bottles or jars. Prepare serving area with lemon slices, mint sprigs, ice, and glasses.
06 - To serve, fill a glass with ice, pour in lemonade, and stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of chosen syrup. Garnish with lemon slices or mint as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get to be the architect of your flavor destiny, and it always tastes better that way.
  • No matter the size of your crowd or their quirks, everyone leaves smiling with their perfect glass in hand.
02 -
  • If you skip chilling the lemonade first, the ice melts too fast and waters everything down.
  • Letting the fruit syrups cool completely before bottling brings out their full flavor and keeps them vibrantly colored.
03 -
  • Strain the syrups twice if you want them crystal clear for show-stopping mocktails.
  • If you gently crush the mint leaves before steeping, the minty flavor is extra bold without a hint of bitterness.
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