This content originally appeared in the 2023 summer issue of Spooky Little Halloween—The Magazine.
The past few summers, I’ve been obsessed with cherry lemonade. The best part? I’ve been making my own at home!
Don’t worry, I keep my recipe super easy so you aren’t going to have to haul out juice presses and cherry pitters…unless you want to.
I will admit too, short of dropping a few pitted cherries into the bottom of your glass to look like bleeding hearts…there isn’t anything overtly spooky about this drink. It’s just what I’m enjoying this summer, hence the name Spooky’s Summer Sparkler!
As we welcome another Summerween, I hope you’ll give it a try—including my suggestions for doctoring it up.
Recipe: Spooky’s Summer Sparkler
Spooky's Summer Sparkler
The bloody good cherry lemonade is the perfect drink for Summerween!
Ingredients
- 2 parts lemonade
- 1 part cherry juice
- Splash of club soda (optional)
Instructions
- In a glass, add two parts lemonade to one part cherry juice.
- Mix, then top off the glass with a little club soda for a bit of fizz.
Notes
The Simply Lemonade brand is usually my preference for something pre-made, and I find cherry juice in the bottled juice aisle of the grocery store. I prefer to go for 100% juice or tart cherry juice that doesn’t have added sugar since the lemonade is already sweetened, but that’s my personal taste.
Garnish It:
Add a fresh sliced lemon wheel to the edge of the glass, or pit and muddle a few fresh cherries in the bottom of your glass for extra flavor.
FREEZE IT:
Mix your lemonade and cherry juice according to the recipe, then freeze in an ice cube tray.
Once frozen, drop the ice cubes into a blender and add 3-4 ounces of lemonade. (Adjust as needed.)
Blend and create a Spooky Summer Slushie instead!
MAKE IT BOOZY:
A shot of vodka works great in this drink, but I really loved it with gin. The herbal notes added a nice flavor to the drink that made it feel extra summery.
You could also trade club soda for prosecco!
How will you enjoy this drink?
As always, let me know in the comments.
Looking for more Summerween recipes? Here are three more drinks to try:
