Hard Lemonade

By Rebekah Peppler

Updated June 10, 2024

Hard Lemonade — David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 8 minutes
Rating: 4(80)
Notes: Read community notes

This recipe is far removed from the spiked six packs of yore. The cocktail’s hard lemon base is a combination of fresh lemon juice, vodka or limoncello, simple syrup and a pinch of flaky sea salt. The salt serves to enhance, balance and brighten, while a final topping of bubbly soda water lengthens and elevates. When choosing between vodka or limoncello, follow your palate. Vodka offers a more straightforward flavor. The limoncello variation is sweeter — though nothing approaching cloying — and a bit more complex.

Featured in: 2 Simple Cocktails for Lemon Lovers

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Ingredients

Yield:1 drink

1ounce fresh lemon juice
1ounce vodka or limoncello
½ounce simple syrup
Pinch flaky salt
Ice
3 to 4ounces soda water, chilled
Lemon wedge or wheel, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
In a shaker, combine the lemon juice, vodka or limoncello, simple syrup and salt. Add ice and shake until well chilled. Fill a rocks glass with ice. Strain the cocktail into the glass and top with soda water. Garnish with the lemon wedge or wheel.

Ratings

4 out of 5

80 user ratings

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

jmd2 months ago

Switch out the vodka with Beefeater gin (which has a citrusy note) and add a touch of St. Germaine, eliminate the simple syrup and you decide on the soda water (optional in my book).

Kev2 months ago

Why would anyone ever add simple syrup to limoncello?

MARLA2 months ago

I also mixed gin with lemonade, which is similar to this recipe. It made for a refreshing summertime combination.

Nancy1 month ago

Gin and lemonade is called a Tom Collins

LT1 month ago

Add some sliced strawberries and a splash of Campari, and you'll get a very special strawberry lemonade. Better if you let the strawberries sit in the lemonade for a bit before serving. Also good to make as a batch drink.

Pauline Rogers1 month ago

I make my own limoncello (which is made with added simple syrup) and love the flavor a sprig of rosemary adds to my simple syrup. I’ll bet it would be delicious in this as well.

Kev2 months ago

Why would anyone ever add simple syrup to limoncello?

Kim1 month ago

You make limoncello by adding simple syrup to the lemon peel infused (for weeks) vodka.

William Bodkins2 months ago

Why not include a recipe or other source of "simple syrup"? I'll have to figure that out before I can try this recipe. Frustrating!

David2 months ago

simple syrup = sugar + water, it's basically a way to add sugar without having to worry about the sugar dissolving in whatever you are adding it to.

mp2 months ago

what David said. 1:1 ratio. HEre's a NYT Cooking recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014441-simple-syrup

Greg1 month ago

You can also buy premade simple syrup at any decent liqour store ... I made my one once and despite refrigerating it, it quickly grew mold. Ever since then I go store-bought.

MARLA2 months ago

I also mixed gin with lemonade, which is similar to this recipe. It made for a refreshing summertime combination.

jmd2 months ago

Switch out the vodka with Beefeater gin (which has a citrusy note) and add a touch of St. Germaine, eliminate the simple syrup and you decide on the soda water (optional in my book).

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