Pink Lavender Lemonade

The pink in this lemonade comes from real ingredients, not food dye. Dried hibiscus flowers simmered in sugar syrup release a stunning magenta color and a tart, cranberry-like flavor. No hibiscus? Hulled strawberries work as a stand-in with a softer pink hue.

Lavender goes in off the heat and steeps while the syrup cools. This is key: boiling lavender turns it bitter and medicinal, but a gentle steep pulls out only the floral, honey-like notes you actually want in a drink. Fresh leaves give a brighter flavor than dried, though either works.

With 2 ¼ cups of fresh lemon juice, this lemonade leans tart. Taste it after mixing and add the extra half cup of sugar only if you want it sweeter. The balance should be floral first, tart second, sweet third.

Chef Tips

• Use culinary-grade lavender and pesticide-free hibiscus; these steep directly in the syrup so quality matters
• Strain through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to catch all the flower bits for a crystal-clear drink
• Make the syrup a day ahead and refrigerate; the lavender flavor deepens overnight
• Fresh lavender sprigs frozen into ice cubes make a gorgeous serving detail

Variations

• Sparkling: Replace the second 2 ½ cups of water with chilled sparkling water, added just before serving
• Cocktail version: Add 2 ounces of gin or vodka per glass
• Honey lavender: Replace the sugar with honey for a more floral, rounded sweetness