Everyone’s heard the phrase “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”  But regardless of what life has given you, get your pitchers ready!

Why? Because August 20th is National Lemonade Day!

To celebrate this sweet occasion, here are a few of our favorite lemonade recipes:

Lavender Lemonade

Looking for a fresh, almost European-style, lemonade to serve as a sophisticated beverage?  The Krazy Coupon Lady has a fabulous Lavender Lemonade that will certainly peak your guests’ interest.

You’ll Need:

4 cups of water
¼ cup of chopped, fresh lavender leaves
2/3 cup of sugar
1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice (roughly 6 lemons)
Lavender stems

Directions

Boil the sugar and the lemon juice until it creates a syrup.  Add water to the pot and return it to a boil.  Remove from heat, and steep the lavender leaves in the lemonade for at least ten minutes.  Strain the leaves out, and then pour your lemonade into a pretty pitcher.  Garnish with lavender stems.

Strawberry Lemonade

If you’re looking for a simpler recipe that you can share with your kids, try this sweet strawberry lemonade!

You’ll Need: 

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup of lemon juice
Lemon peels of one lemon
1 pint of strawberries, washed and de-stemmed
Sparkling water

Directions

In a sauce pan, boil the sugar and lemon juice with the lemon peels, stirring constantly.  When the sugar has melted and you are left with essentially a lemon simple syrup, pour the mixture into a blender with a pint of strawberries.  Puree until it is good and thin.  Pour into a pretty pitcher.  Pour sparkling water in with it, and stir it up.  Chill until ready to serve!

Arnold Palmer

For Southern ladies or golf aficionados, Arnold Palmers are a lovely way to drink lemonade.  You can use classic lemonade or mix it up with a fun flavor.  This is my own personal recipe.

You’ll Need:

4 cups of water
1/2 cup of sugar
¼ cup of honey
2 green tea bags
2 black tea bags

Directions

Prepare your favorite lemonade recipe, like the Lavender Lemonade above! Boil four cups of water with honey and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and steep two green tea bags and two black tea bags for ten minutes.  Mix your tea and your lemonade and chill until you’re ready to serve.  Pour it over ice in your best iced tea glasses, and garnish with a lemon slice.

Lemonade Martini

Want an adults-only recipe? Whip up a batch of this yummy, grown-up Lemonade by our girls, The Sugar Mommas:

You’ll Need:

1 part lemon liqueur (preferably Caravella Limoncello originale d’Italia)
2 parts vodka (preferably Absolut Citron)
4 parts lemonade
1 part fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Sugar to rim your glass

Directions

Dip the rim of a martini glass in lemon juice and then into sugar for a pretty treat.  Then, in a cocktail shaker, combine the ingredients with ice.  Shake, shake, shake!  Then, strain into your martini glass, and enjoy!  You can also garnish the glass with a lemon twist, wedge, slice, or even a mint leaf for a little color.

However you choose to enjoy your lemonade, pour yourself a glass on Monday in celebration of National Lemonade Day… And thank life for all the lemons it gave you!