How to Make Homemade Hard Lemonade

How to Make Homemade Hard Lemonade

from thekitchenismyplayground.com

Love those bottles of refreshing hard lemonade? Well, it's easy to make your own Hard Lemonade from scratch right at home, too! Whip up some with just a little vodka and a batch of fresh-made homemade lemonade. But be careful -- because just like with the bottled hard lemonade, this stuff goes down way too easy.

Ingredients

  • 1 c. fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
  • 1 c. granulated sugar
  • 3 c. cold water
  • 3/4 to 1 c. vodka
  • 1 lemon, unpeeled and thinly sliced for garnish (optional)

Directions

  1. 1

    Combine lemon juice and sugar in a pitcher or large Mason jar. Stir briskly until sugar is dissolved.

  2. 2

    Add cold water and vodka, stir to combine.

  3. 3

    Serve immediately over ice, or refrigerate until chilled.

  4. 4

    Garnish with lemon slices, if desired.

  5. 5

    To get the most juice out of your lemons, use the palm of your hand to roll each whole lemon several times on your counter top before squeezing. This softens the lemons and helps release their juices. If you have an especially firm lemon, pop it in the microwave for about 20 seconds to help release the juice.

  6. 6

    Increase or decrease the amount of vodka to suit your personal taste.

  7. 7

    We like this best made with regular, plain vodka. We've tried it with vanilla vodka, as well, which is too sweet and makes the flavor just seem "off."