The Only Summer Drink I Make by the Pitcher: Fresh Strawberry Mint Lemonade That Beats the Heat
As the heatwave intensifies, one simple homemade drink is emerging as the go-to cool-down — refreshing, cheap, and ready in minutes.
When the heat turns the city into a hair dryer, I default to one thing: strawberry mint lemonade. It is bright, clean, and actually refreshing. Strawberry brings the sweetness, mint cools everything down, lemon adds that sharp little lift. No dyes, no preservatives, no sugar overload. Just the good stuff.
What you will need
Strawberries 300 g; 1 lemon; fresh mint 50 g; sugar 80 g; water 1.2 L.
How to make it
- Rinse the strawberries. Puree about 100 g until smooth and scrape it into a saucepan.
- Chop the remaining 200 g strawberries into bite-size pieces and add them to the pan.
- Slice half the lemon into thin rounds (or small wedges) and toss those in.
- Add the mint sprigs. Tie them into a little bundle if you want easy removal later.
- Pour in 1 cup boiling water (about 250 ml). Cover and let it steep for 40–60 minutes.
- Lift out the mint and discard it.
- Juice the remaining half lemon and add the juice to the pan along with the sugar. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves.
- Pour in the remaining water (about 950 ml), filtered or previously boiled and cooled to room temperature. Stir.
- Strain the lemonade through a fine sieve or cheesecloth to catch the pulp and seeds.
- Transfer to a pitcher or bottles and chill in the fridge for 2–3 hours.
Serve it cold
Go for frosty-cold glasses. Add ice, extra lemon slices, or a few fresh berries if you like a little garnish drama.
My take
Last summer I made this on repeat (easily ten batches). It kept everyone happy in the worst heat and scored points with both adults and kids. Ripe, fragrant strawberries make all the difference; the better the berries, the less sugar you will want.