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Mix it up
Playing bartender is much like playing chef. The creative cook puts his or her own stamp on a dish by assessing which ingredients or processes are untouchable, and which are open to replacement or alteration.
Deconstructing
Since lemonade is a straightforward blend of lemon juice and sugar diluted with icy cold water, there are a variety of things you can do to alter and enhance it. The only ingredient that’s irreplaceable is the lemon, of course. Otherwise, do anything – but don’t change the balance of sweetness and tartness that gives this drink its special snap.
Reconstructing
Try this: In place of refined granulated white sugar, add demerara sugar, maple syrup, Grand Marnier, wildfl ower honey, golden corn syrup, the bright red liquid from a jar of maraschino cherries, or any other soluble sugar substitute.
Instead of fresh cold water, use chilled steeped tea, club soda, tonic water, juice, lager beer, white wine, hard cider, vodka, champagne or any combination that excites you. (However, I don't recommend milk, as it may curdle when confronted by freshly squeezed lemon.)
And why waste valuable glass space on cubes of mere frozen water? Instead, you can pre-chill your glassware and all liquid ingredients, then finish off the drink with delicious frozen whole raspberries and blueberries, strawberry pieces, fruit chunks, lime segments or lemon wheels. The frozen fruit will keep your drink cold longer and add a decorative splash of colour
as well as a lovely nuance of flavour.
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