Barley Free Vegan Bright Lemonade with Lime Zest
Tart, bright, and impossibly refreshing, this citrus drink is the kind of thing you'll want to keep a pitcher of in the fridge all week. The secret is a lime zest–infused agave syrup that steeps for a full fifteen minutes, pulling out every bit of fragrant citrus oil before it ever hits the lemon juice. Agave dissolves beautifully without any heating fuss, and it keeps the whole drink completely plant-based with no animal products or grain-derived sweeteners to worry about. Fresh-squeezed lemon juice gives it a clean, honest tartness that bottled concentrate simply can't match. You can dial the intensity up or down at the end — a splash more water softens it, an extra squeeze of lemon sharpens it — so it's easy to make exactly the glass you're craving. Served over ice with a few citrus slices, it looks like something from a café menu but comes together in under thirty minutes with just a handful of real ingredients.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the simple syrup
- ½ cup agave syrup
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp lime zest (from about 2 limes), finely grated
For the lemonade
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 6–7 lemons)
- 3 cups cold water
For serving
- ice, for serving
- lemon or lime slices, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the agave syrup, 1/2 cup water, and lime zest in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the agave is fully dissolved, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and let the syrup steep for 15 minutes so the lime zest infuses fully.
- 2
Pour the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher, pressing the zest lightly to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids.
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