Lemonade DRINK & BEVERAGES”
A drink that tasted like sunshine, childhood, and easy laughter.
The sun that afternoon felt unusually warm, the kind that makes the walls shimmer and pushes everyone toward the shade. I was sitting on the old veranda steps, fanning myself with a newspaper I didn’t even understand. Grandpa walked out, whistling his off-key tune, carrying a small basket filled with lemons from the backyard tree.
“Hot day, isn’t it?” he said, wiping his forehead with the end of his shirt. Before I could answer, he winked. “Perfect lemonade weather.” Somehow, every summer had its own lemonade story, and Grandpa made sure of it.
He rolled the lemons on the table—his old trick to soften them—then sliced them open. The sharp, bright scent filled the entire kitchen. I watched as he squeezed them with slow, practiced hands, collecting the juice in a tall glass jug. “No shortcuts,” he always said. “Good things take a little patience.”
Sugar went in next, not too much, just enough to balance the tang. Cold water, a little salt, and a handful of ice cubes that crackled the moment they dropped in. I stirred the jug while Grandpa plucked a few mint leaves from the window pot. “Mint is the soul,” he whispered dramatically, and I laughed so hard the spoon nearly slipped from my hand.
We carried the jug outside, the condensation already trickling down its sides. The first sip… cold, sharp, sweet, familiar. Like stepping into shade after standing in the sun too long. Grandpa leaned back in his chair and said, “One day, you’ll make this for your kids, and they’ll think you invented summers.”
The neighborhood kids joined in soon after. Glasses clinked, someone spilled a little on the tiles, someone argued about who got the bigger glass—but no one cared. The lemonade tasted perfect. The moment tasted even better. Funny how such simple drinks end up becoming the memories you return to again and again.
Ingredients (For 10 persons)
• 10–12 fresh lemons
• 2 cups sugar (adjust to taste)
• 3 liters cold water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup ice cubes
• A handful of fresh mint leaves
How to Make It
1. Roll lemons on the counter to soften them.
2. Slice and squeeze all lemons into a jug.
3. Add sugar and salt, mix well until dissolved.
4. Pour in cold water and stir again.
5. Add plenty of ice and fresh mint leaves.
6. Serve chilled — and share generously.
