After nearly a decade in the lemonade business, Josh Thomas looks forward to handing off some of his responsibilities to a successor. He'll probably wait until his brother turns 4, the same age he was when he opened his award-winning stand.
At 13, Thomas has shown a shrewd business sense when it comes to marketing the lemonade stand he sets up each summer at two community festivals near his home in Silverton, Ore.
He has tinkered with his recipe over the years to create a product that pleases the eye and palate.
"Since I sell a lot, I use lemonade concentrate, fresh lemons dipped in sugar, then extra sugar for a sweeter taste," said Josh, who displays his drinks in a clear container with lemon slices bobbing beside cubes made from frozen juice. "I keep making fresh batches, that way people can smell it and it attacts them to the stand."
When it comes to this quintessential summer drink, there is a lemonade recipe to suit every taste, from simply squeezed blends of lemon, water and sugar to upscale concoctions infused with fruit and herbs.
Fred Thompson, the author of the cookbook Lemonade , calls the drink "comfort food in a glass."
"It's as nostalgic as Mom's meatloaf," he said. "We all have some memories of it as a child ... It's sort of this sense of generations that, quite frankly, we don't have a lot of these days."
The taste of lemonade is satisfying because it combines sweet and sour flavors, he said.
"If made appropriately, it's sort of an exciting thing to have in your mouth," he said.
"Appropriately" is the key word. Powdered lemonade mix is never acceptable, other than to add a bit of flavor to iced tea, he said.
"To me, lemonade is about fresh. It's about bold," he said. "It's like using fresh herbs at the last minute in a savory dish."
Along those lines, Mr. Thompson steers clear of bottled, reconstituted lemon juice.
In a pinch, store-bought lemonade can be transformed into a reasonably good beverage by adding the juice of a few fresh lemons and their rinds and refrigerating the mixture overnight, he said.
Some of Mr. Thompson's recipes also include frozen lemonade concentrate mixed with fresh ingredients, but for truly tasty lemonade, fresh lemon juice and zest are critical, he said, and you don't need a fancy juicer.
"I still like old-fashioned, simple reamers," he said. "They're as effective as anything else, easy to store and they don't cost a lot of money."
Mr. Thompson suggests sweetening lemonade with superfine sugar because it dissolves quicker than conventional granulated sugar. A simple syrup (made by boiling water and sugar) is good.
Thomas, the young entrepreneur in Oregon, has a kid-friendly recipe but has boosted his sales by serving complimentary snacks, most notably salty popcorn to help his customers work up a thrist.
His description of his elaborate setup -- tiki torches, beach balls, a beach umbrella and music add to the tropical mood -- won him the "best story" award from Inc.com's The Best Lemonade Stand in America contest last year.
In just two weekends, he raked in $331 in profits, plus $88 in tips that he donated to a food bank. His advice for first-timers?
"Just come up with what's going to sell and then expand your product line," he said. "Set your goals high and go for it."
Here are some recipes sure to please.
WAYS TO GIVE LEMONADE A PUNCHIER PUCKER:
FROZEN:
In Rhode Island, summer is synonymous with Del's Frozen Lemonade, an icy drink best slurped out of a paper cup. According to family lore, the original recipe dates to 1840 and involved lemons, sugar and snow stored in the caves of Naples, Italy. Del's sells make-at-home mixes that can be combined with ice and water in a blender.
FRUITY:
Strawberries are one of the first signs of summer in many parts of the country, and they pair well with lemons, Mr. Thompson said. He likes to mash them in a food processor with sugar, then stir it into lemonade.
Blueberries also add a nice flavor, as do ripe peaches. A recipe from Suzanne Gold, featured in The Oprah Magazine Cookbook, combines watermelon with honey-sweetened lemonade.
SAVORY:
One of the newest trends in lemonade is infusing the drink with herbs such as tarragon, basil thyme or mint. To do this, use fresh herbs and let them steep in the lemonade for an hour or more before serving. It also helps to muddle, or bruise, the herbs, which releases more of their flavorful oils.
If the steeped leaves aren't attractive by the time you serve the lemonade, strain them out and garnish each glass with fresh leaves.
SPIKED:
For grown-ups, Mr. Thompson's book offers a range of lemonades featuring alcohol as a main ingredient. His Wicked Pink Lady lemonade mixes lemonade with gin, grenadine and heavy cream. The Blue Lagoon includes vodka, lemonade and blue curacao. He said the flavor of lemonade "plays well with others," making it versatile enough to pair with everything from beer to wine to hard liquor.
VANILLA BEAN LEMONADE
Vanilla is prized for its ability to bring subtle changes to many recipes. Though this recipe uses frozen lemonade concentrate as a shortcut, Fred Thompson, author of the cookbook Lemonade, doesn't recommend cutting corners on vanilla: use vanilla beans for the most unadulterated vanilla flavor, or pure vanilla extract.
Start to finish: 2 hours (25 minutes active)
Makes 2 quarts
12-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
6 cups cold water
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 vanilla beans or pure vanilla extract, to taste
2 large lemons, quartered and seeded
In a 3-quart pitcher, combine the lemonade concentrate, water, sugar and salt. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
If you are using vanilla beans, split the beans lengthwise down the middle and scrape out the seeds into the lemonade mixture. Discard the beans. Stir until the seeds have separated.
Alternatively, add vanilla extract to taste.
Let the lemonade steep for at least 10 minutes.
Strain the lemonade, if desired, through a fine-mess strainer to remove any vanilla bean residue. Squeeze each lemon wedge into the pitcher, then add the rinds.
Chill until very cold and serve in tall glasses over ice.
SPARKLING GINGER LEMONADE
This simple lemonade marries the wonderfully complementary flavors of fresh ginger and sweet honey.
Start to finish: 1 hour (15 minutes active)
Servings: 5
2 cup water
1 cup honey
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 cups club soda, cold
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
In a small saucepan, combine the water, honey and ginger. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat, cover and let steep for 10 minutes.
Place a mesh strainer over a bowl and strain the mixture into it, discarding the ginger. Transfer the mixture to a pitcher and cool completely.
Stir in the soda and lemon juice. Serve over ice.
(Recipe from the April/May issue of Taste of Home magazine)
LEMONADE FLOAT
This bracingly tart and chilly lemonade is perfect for a steamy day. For a creamy version, use vanilla ice cream instead of lemon sherbet. Lime sherbet also would be a nice alternative.
Start to finish: 5 minutes
Servings: 1
2 tablespoons powdered lemonade mix
Ice (optional)
1 1/4 cups seltzer water
1/3 to 1/2 cup lemon sherbet
Lemon wedges, for garnish
In a tall glass, place the lemonade mix and ice (if using). Add the seltzer water and stir until the powder is dissolved. Float a large, rounded scoop on top of the lemonade. Serve with a straw and lemon wedges.
WATERMELON LEMONADE
The fresh taste of watermelon livens up this lemonade recipe from Rozanne Gold in The Oprah Magazine Cookbook. Adjust the sweetness by experimenting with the amount of honey.
Start to finish: 2 hours (15 minutes active)
Servings: 4
1 1/2 pounds sliced seedless watermelon, rind removed
Zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 lemon, thinly sliced, for garnish
In a food processor, puree the watermelon until very smooth.
Set a mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the pureed watermelon through it. Stir the pulp to let as much liquid as possible drain into the bowl. Discard the pulp.
Pour the watermelon juice into a large pitcher and add the lemon zest. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and honey until honey dissolves. Stir this mixture into the watermelon juice, then stir in the water.
Cover and refrigerate until very cold. Serve over ice and garnish with lemon slices.
OLD-FASHIONED LEMONADE
This basic recipe from Fred Thompson's cookbook Lemonade, starts with a simple syrup that can be made ahead and refrigerated up to a month. Having some on hand speeds up the process of making fresh lemonade.
Start to finish: 3 hours (15 minutes active)
Makes 2 quarts
For the sugar syrup:
Grated zest of 2 lemons
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
For the lemonade:
2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 12 lemons), with half of the rinds reserved and roughly chopped
3 cups cold water
To make the sugar syrup, in a medium saucepan combine the zest, sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes.
Transfer the syrup to a 2-quart pitcher. Let cool.
Add the lemon juice, chopped lemon rinds and cold water. Stir well to combine. Chill until very cold. Serve over ice.
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