Online Desk: As the temperature is soaring like never before this year, it is essential to stay hydrated and while you have the chance, why stick with your basic mixes and juices? Lemonade is one of our go-to summer essentials this year, and although the original recipe is delicious as it is, here are 5 ways you can jazz it up, that too in under 2 minutes!

Ice cubes bring more than coolness

Nothing sounds better than a chilled glass of lemonade in this scorching heat, but what if the ice used to make it cooler also brings in more flavour? Instead of freezing plain water, opt for flavoured ones next time. You can take a different flavoured fruit juice and freeze it up.

You can also cut or slice other fruits and freeze them with ice — such as orange slices or strawberry cubes. Once you prepare your lemonade, just drop the ice cubes in it and it will add another layer of flavour while chilling your drink.

Layer it up with flavours

When it comes to cooking, your dish really is your canvas and there are so many ways you can go about it — be it for a curry recipe, a sweet dessert, or just plain old lemonade. Water, lime, and sugar make for a refreshing drink but you can enhance the flavours so much by adding just a splash of this and a dash of that.

Flavoured syrups pack a punch such as rose syrup and curacao syrup. Alternatively, you could mix in watermelon or strawberry juice, turning it into a watermelon or strawberry lemonade. There are so many other variations you can try such as orange pulp or berry concentrate. Carbonated drinks bring in the fizzy element — the sky really is your limit!

Garnish your heart away

What makes your food look pretty on the outside but also adds flavour inside — garnish! And with lemonades you could do it a hundred ways. We of course have the basic mint leaf or lime wheel, but there is so much more you can do. Crushing small amounts of fruits at the bottom before pouring your lemonade makes all the difference — be it strawberry, mint, or pineapples.

However, do not just limit yourself to playing around with flavours, be creative with your garnish. You can dip your glass rim in some instant juice powder and salt for an added layer of flavour. Additionally, you can add little, cut fruits on a stick and use it as garnish.

Tropical twist

While we beat the heat, let’s take utmost advantage of the summer sun and our delicious tropical fruits. Tropical fruits and juices pair extremely well with lemonades. Just add a drizzle and you will know the difference. Some common flavour choices include pineapple, mango, coconut, and lychee.

When you prepare your lemonade, pour in a sufficient amount of tropical fruit juice to bring in those flavours but not so much as to overpower the original tart and sweet lime flavour. Stir the two flavours to combine them and enjoy!

Slush it up

Did you know you could turn any drink into a slushy very easily? That’s correct! And the secret ingredient is very simple — ice. Once your lemonade is ready, just blend it with a decent amount of ice and soon enough you will have a lemonade slushy. However, when doing so, keep in mind that this will dilute the drink, so make it stronger than you usually would.

You can also try this with flavoured lemonades and you will have a refreshing fruit slushy in no time. To level up our game, you can use flavoured ice cubes to make the slushy and this will make it even better.

So, which of these methods will you use while making lemonade?