On a hot summer day, all you want is an ice-cold lemonade. But what if that refreshing drink was also caffeinated? Enter the unbelievably tasty iced coffee lemonade!
This drink is popular in Sweden (where it’s called kaffelemonad), but you can learn how to make coffee lemonade at home quickly and easily. Keep reading to learn how to make a fancy-tasting yet affordable summer drink!
Simple Coffee Lemonade Recipe:
- 1/2 cup of cold brew or cooled coffee
- 1/4 cup of lemon juice
- Sugar or honey (to taste)
- 1/2 cup of tonic water
- Ice cubes (or coffee ice cubes)
- Glass
- Mason jar or cocktail shaker
- Straw or cocktail umbrella (optional)
1. Add coffee, lemon, and sugar to the jar.
Pour cold brew or cooled coffee into a Mason jar or cocktail shaker. Add lemon juice and sugar or honey (to taste).
2. Shake thoroughly.
Put the lid on and give the mixture a good shake. Much like James Bond’s favorite cocktail, your coffee lemonade will taste better — and mix more thoroughly — if it’s shaken, not stirred.
3. Fill a glass with ice.
We recommend filling a tall glass at least halfway with ice. If you have coffee ice cubes in the freezer, use them instead for a stronger drink.
4. Pour in the tonic water.
We like to add the tonic or sparkling water at this point because it makes for a more beautiful drink. Pour the tonic directly over the ice.
5. Add the coffee mixture on top and enjoy!
Pour the coffee and lemon mixture on top of the tonic and ice. Then serve your tasty drink immediately — with a straw, cocktail umbrella, or lemon wheel if you want to take it over the top. Delicious!
How to Make Coffee Lemonade: Tasty Variations
That’s the base recipe, but are there any tricks to know when learning how to make coffee lemonade on your own? Here are a few suggestions and brewing tips to help you customize this unique drink:
Sugar or Honey?
You can use a lot of different ingredients to sweeten your coffee lemonade, including basic white sugar, honey, or even agave. Another option is to whip up a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water. Even better? Add a splash of lemon juice to the pot to make an even tastier drink!
Cold Brew, Espresso, or Coffee?
Cold-brew is our favorite kind of coffee to use in coffee lemonade because it’s sweet, flavorful, and already chilled. You can start the cold brew the day before and have it ready to use for your afternoon coffee! But you can also use brewed coffee leftover from your morning pot.
And what about espresso? Mixing in a shot or two of espresso will alter the flavor — your coffee lemonade will be more intense — but you may prefer it that way! Why not give it a try and see what you think?
Shaken or Stirred?
You certainly don’t have to shake your coffee lemonade, but there are a few reasons it can improve your drink. Shaking adds a frothy lightness to the drink, which balances the acidity of the lemons and the intensity of the coffee. Plus, citrus doesn’t mix well with other liquids like coffee when you just stir. But make sure you add the sparkling water after you shake the other ingredients — unless you want an exploding cocktail shaker!
Simple Coffee Lemonade Recipe
Equipment
- Glass
- Mason jar or cocktail shaker
- Straw or cocktail umbrella (optional)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cold brew or cooled coffee
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- Sugar or honey to taste
- 1/2 cup tonic water
- Coffee ice cubes or regular ice cubes
Instructions
- Pour cold brew or cooled coffee into a Mason jar or cocktail shaker. Add lemon juice and sugar or honey (to taste).
- Put the lid on and give the mixture a good shake. Much like James Bond’s favorite cocktail, your coffee lemonade will taste better -- and mix more thoroughly -- if it’s shaken, not stirred.
- Fill a tall glass at least halfway with ice. If you have coffee ice cubes in the freezer, use them instead for a stronger drink.
- We like to add the tonic or sparkling water at this point because it makes for a more beautiful drink. Pour the tonic directly over the ice.
- Pour the coffee and lemon mixture on top of the tonic and ice. Then serve your tasty drink immediately -- with a straw, cocktail umbrella, or lemon wheel if you want to take it over the top. Delicious!
Nutrition
The Bottom Line
Coffee lemonade tastes like something you’d get at a high-end coffee shop, but it’s surprisingly easy and affordable to make at home. We hope you enjoy this refreshing coffee drink! Trust us when we say that it will change your life — or at least your tastebuds.
OTHER DELICIOUS COFFEE RECIPES:
- Café Au Lait Recipe (With Tasty Variations)
- How to Make Caramel Iced Coffee (Simple Steps)
- How to Make Vietnamese Iced Coffee at Home
Featured Image Credit: Girl with red hat, Unsplash
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