Smoked Lemons Are The Flavorful Twist You Need For Your Next Batch Of Lemonade

Who knew sweet and smoky flavors could thrive in an icy cold drink, especially one featuring the tongue-twisting tartness of fresh sliced lemons? We're all familiar with homemade lemonade, but smoky and sweet profiles typically apply to barbecue sauces or honeyed smoked whiskeys. Not anymore. Now there's a thing called smoked lemonade, and you might just have an "aha!" moment as it slides down your throat. Smoky tempers sweet while merging with the pucker-perfect acidity, creating layers of depth and complexity with every sip. 

Making smoked lemonade is far easier than you'd imagine. It doesn't require things like liquid smoke, smoked salt flakes, smoke-dried tea leaves, or any number of smoke-flavored spices. By all means, experiment with those ingredients if you'd like. But this drink comes from smoking the fruit itself with no outside flavorings. There are different ways to achieve this. One is a straightforward process involving fresh lemons, cut in half, placed cut-side down on a smoker pan. They're smoked for about an hour in a smoker set at medium-low heat. 

You can alternatively use a smoker-style grill and position the cut lemons strategically across the sizzling-hot grill grates. For even deeper flavor, dip each slice in granulated or turbinado sugar before grilling. In roughly 10 minutes, you'll have delightfully smoky, caramelized lemons ready to squeeze. That's the crucial part of making smoked lemonade, but it's only the beginning. You can now sub these smoked beauties into any number of existing lemonade recipes. 

Whether going for any-day, all-ages lemonade or a boozy concoction on sultry summer nights, smoked lemons slide right into the equation with little if any measurement alterations. For a simple classic lemonade, you'll be squeezing the lemons as usual and mixing with simple syrup and water. There's no need to purchase a bar-style bottle of simple syrup; just make your own by heating one cup sugar with one cup water until the sugar dissolves. Use a 2:1 ratio of sugar/water for sweeter balancing of the citric tartness.  

If you're going for something like a spicy pineapple lemonade cocktail, smoked lemons are a real game changer. Infusing vodka, gin, or whiskey with jalapeños gets the kick going, joined by smoked lemon juice, pineapple juice, and a splash of simple syrup. Rim the glasses with Tajin spice for a fun flavor dance across your tongue. Make sure it's all icy cold for the full refreshing effect. 

There's no reason at all to bypass the pink when making smoked lemonade. That's especially true if it's an earthy naturally pink lemonade that gets its hue from subtly flavored beetroot juice rather than overly sweet or artificial coloring. Smokey lemon juice deepens your pink-pleasure drinking, and you can double down by adding some smoked lemon zest to the mix.