Quick homemade lemonade with a burst of fresh raspberry flavor, finished off with sparkling Moscato for a refreshing and delicious cooler that’s perfect for these still hot afternoons!
Hey, all! It’s Friday and it’s still hot and we’ve got storms coming our way for this weekend in a big way. So we’re grabbing a little time outside before all the weather hits, enjoying some sun on our skin, and refreshing ourselves with these sparkling raspberry lemonade coolers!
At the end of twenty-four weeks of quarantine {but really, who’s counting at this point}, we’re really trying to take advantage of what simple pleasures we can find in and out of the house and enjoy the summer as much as we can.
We’re not headed to the pool or the beach this summer, but it’s pretty awesome to hook a hose up to the little splash pad we found online and let our two-year-old run through the sprinkles, giggling with glee, while we sit with our feet in the water. We get plenty of sun in the backyard, so we’re all doing pretty well on our vitamin D dosage. And I have to admit, it’s nice to not have the crowds and noise and having anything we might need in the house behind us.
It’s not summer pool or beach life, but it’s good. Add some fresh squeezed lemonade blended with raspberries and spiked with sparkling wine, and it’s great!
The key to these drinks is the fresh lemonade. You can make coolers with lemon juice or get pre-made lemonade, but it just doesn’t pack the same punch. And homemade lemonade is easier than you think. You need about a cup of lemon juice {about six lemons}, sugar, and water. You make a simple syrup by cooking the sugar with water in a saucepan, stirring until it’s dissolved, and then cooling it down. Mix the simple syrup with the fresh lemon juice and 5-7 cups of water, and you’ve got lemonade. Delicious, fresh, flavorful lemonade.
Or in this case, you mix the simple syrup with fresh lemon juice and pureed raspberries and use about 5 cups of water, to keep it on the strong side. And when you serve it, fill your glass or mason jar about 3/4 of the way and top off the rest with sparkling moscato.
You can make these with sparkling water if you’re looking for an alcohol-free version, but both Scott and I love a little sparkling moscato during the hot summer months, so we sneak it into this fruity and delicious cooler. And the sweetness of it pairs well with the tartness of the lemon and the fresh summer raspberries we’re trying to use up, although you can use other berries as well!
And is it really summer if you don’t serve your lemonade and ice tea up in a mason jar?
[lt_recipe name=”Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade Coolers” summary=”Quick homemade lemonade with a burst of fresh raspberry flavor, finished off with sparkling Moscato for a refreshing and delicious cooler that’s perfect for these still hot afternoons!” servings=”4″ print=”yes” image=”https://homefrontcooking.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Raspberry-Lemonade-Coolers-1231-1024×683.jpg” ingredients=”1 12-oz container fresh raspberries;1 cup fresh lemon juice;1/2 cup granulated sugar;6 cups water;Sparkling Moscato” ]In a blender, pulse the raspberries until pureed. Strain the raspberry puree through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl to remove pulp and seeds.;In a small saucepan, mix together the sugar and 1 cup of water over medium heat. Cook, stirring all the while, until the sugar is dissolved. ;Pour the syrup into the bowl with the raspberry and mix well. Stir in the lemon juice and the remaining water and stir until combined.;Pour into a pitcher and refrigerate until chilled.;To serve, fill a large glass (or mason jar) with ice. Pour over the raspberry lemonade until the glass is about 3/4 full. Top it off with sparkling Moscato. Mix with a bar spoon or a mixing straw.;Serve garnished with lemon slices, raspberries, and fresh mint.[/lt_recipe]
As I mentioned, you can swap out the Moscato for club soda if you want a non-alcoholic version, but it tastes great with the sweetness of the Moscato. I also won’t add the sparkling wine or club soda until I serve so it doesn’t lose its fizz.
Happy Friday, all! We earned this happy hour this week – cheers!
