Powdered Drink Mix Is Your Ticket To Revamped Lemonade

Lemonade combines the best of both worlds, offering a wonderfully sweet refresher and mouth-puckering deliciousness. Yet, despite the drink's ability to boast layers of depth, there are times when it can fall short. Rather than sipping on lackluster lemonade, there's an easy way to elevate and enhance it — all you need is a packet of powdered drink mix and some elbow grease.

Powdered drink mix is a powerhouse. Just a sprinkle can easily transform water into a colorful and tasty drink right before your eyes. But, beyond just revamping neutral-tasting liquids like water, the flavorful powder can be worked into bolder drinks, as seen in the viral hack of stirring blue raspberry Kool-Aid mix into lemonade. Even better, this trick works on both store-bought jugs and homemade pitchers of classic lemonade.

Simple and inexpensive, powdered drink mix can add some serious complexity, intensifying the citrusy profile and also imparting an unexpected aromatic edge. Additionally, a pouch of colorful powder can even boost visual appeal by changing the hue of the drink.

The options are limitless when it comes to picking a powdered drink mix that's suitable for lemonade. To emphasize the drink's tang, consider selecting an equally tart flavor such as grapefruit, lime, or kiwi. Otherwise, you can tame the sourness with a sweet peach, pineapple, or mango mix. 

If the goal is to amplify its color, strawberry-flavored powder can be used as a riff on pink lemonade, or a blackberry powder can add a deeper purple hue. Conversely, you can even use spices to elevates your lemonade, such as a touch of floral lavender or earthy matcha. Or, combine a variety of drink mixes for a unique result.

To incorporate these drink mix powders, there really isn't an ideal amount to add since the desired flavor intensity depends on preference. Generally, however, it's best to use them modestly to avoid producing a cloyingly sweet or exceptionally sour result. Likewise, bear in mind that powders can clump if they're not properly incorporated; for this reason, it can be helpful to whisk a splash of lemonade directly into the powder to make a slurry, before adding it to the full pitcher.