Add 80–100ml water to a small pan.

Add the sugar and warm it gently over low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

It does not need to boil. Once the sugar has melted, turn off the heat.

This quick syrup helps the sugar mix smoothly into the lemonade instead of sinking to the bottom of the glass.

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Take one lemon and cut it into quarters.

Use a fork to press and twist into each lemon quarter, squeezing the juice into the warm syrup. Remove any seeds that fall in.

You can also use a hand citrus juicer if you prefer, but the fork method is quick and easy for a small homemade drink.

Stir the lemon juice into the syrup.

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Let the lemon syrup cool for a few minutes.

Add ice cubes to two glasses. Slice the second lemon and add 1–2 lemon slices to each glass.

Pour the lemon syrup into the glasses, then top with cold water or sparkling water.

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Stir gently and taste before serving.

If it is too sharp, add a little more sugar or water.
If it is too sweet, add more lemon juice.
If it tastes slightly bitter, use fewer lemon slices next time and avoid leaving too much lemon peel in the drink for too long.

Add a few whole mint leaves if you like. I prefer using mint as a light garnish, not chopping it too finely, because chopped mint can quickly become too strong.

Serve cold.

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For this Kitchen Notes section, I’m using a real photo of the lemonade I made at home.

I used about one lemon for one glass, so two lemons are a good amount for two glasses. One lemon gives the juice, and the other can be used for slices in the glass.

My homemade version tasted a little sharper than the lemonade I had outside. I think that is because I used less sugar, and fresh lemon slices can release a little bitterness if there are too many in the glass.

Café or bar lemonade is often sweeter, and the flavour may have had more time to soften in the fridge. At home, I like keeping it simple: fresh lemon, a little sugar, ice, and cold water.

Next time, I would like to make a sparkling version. I personally enjoy lemon with soda water in summer because the bubbles make the drink feel brighter and fresher — it wakes up the appetite a little on a hot day.

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