Lemonade, we all know it, we all love it. No, we’re not talking about Beyonce’s critically acclaimed album (although we do also love that), we’re talking about the drink that is a delicate blend of sweet and sour. Sunshine in a glass that reminds us of afternoons spent languishing by the pool on summer holidays. But, why not shake things up a bit by making CBD lemonade?
Before we get stuck into our mouth-watering CBD lemonade recipes, we want to show our appreciation for the surprisingly interesting story behind the humble beverage.
You’ll Never Guess Where Lemonade Originally Came From
Unlike the vast majority of carbonated drinks, lemonade wasn’t created by a corporation, it goes way back to ancient times. All the way back to Ancient Egypt, in fact.
Kashbab, a fermented drink is believed to be the precursor for the lemon-y drink that we enjoy today. This particular beverage was made by fermenting barley and mixing it with mint, rue, citron (ancestors of the modern lemon) leaves, and black pepper. Luckily, our modern-day CBD lemonade recipes are a lot more appealing (and easier to make) than that!
Moving forward to 13th Century Cairo, we get a little bit closer to the lemon drink that we have today. Qatarmizat was a refreshing drink made from lemon juice and sugar, which the Jewish community would bottle and export, as well as consume themselves. That sounds more like it!
Lemonade first became popular in Western Europe on the streets of Paris. There, vendors would dispense lemonade from tankards strapped to their backs. In 1630, lemonade became so popular that street vendors decided to join forces to start their own company. Thus, Compagnie de Limonadiers was born!
However, in the 1780s, things changed for lemonade lovers. A German-Swiss jeweller, Johann Schweppes, invented a new way to carbonate water. He used a compression pump to add carbon to water, making it much easier to produce fizzy lemonade on a massive scale. And the rest is history!
The origin of pink lemonade, on the other hand, is a little different. Its creation is widely credited to a rather funny circus-related mishap. Although this may not necessarily be true, the story goes that there was an accident at a circus concession stand.
A worker accidentally dropped red-coloured candies into a massive vat of lemonade. The colour ran into the drink, turning it into a fabulous shade of pink. They served the beverage anyway and circus-goers loved the novelty of the colour!
How to Make a CBD Drink: Which CBD Should I Use?
What is CBD lemonade? It is just regular lemonade with CBD in it! One of the best things about making CBD lemonade at home is that you can customise the recipe to your tastes. This means that you can add the exact strength of CBD you like, as well as making the lemonade as sweet or sour as you like. Additionally, you can get a bit creative when it comes to other flavourings!
For our CBD lemonade recipes, we have used a basic lemonade recipe, that you can add other flavours to. But which CBD should you use for your CBD lemonade?
CBD tinctures and oils are perfect for using in your cooking endeavours as it’s easy to add in a couple of drops as you go along. Usually, you can pop them in when you’re adding butter or oil, as they are a similar consistency. However, adding them to beverages is a little trickier.
This is because oil and water don’t tend to mix very well. If you’re adding tinctures or oils to your CBD lemonade, you may notice that after some time, the oil droplets will rise to the top of the drink. You can simply stir the drinks well before serving, and again if you notice the ingredients separating again as you’re drinking them.
Alternatively, you could opt for a water-soluble option for your CBD lemonade. Water-soluble CBD is made by breaking the hemp oil down into tiny microscopic droplets. These droplets aren’t technically soluble in water, but they mix well enough that they don’t separate over time. That means they’re the perfect option for making CBD lemonade!
If you’re using a tincture for your CBD lemonade, we recommend using this one. It works especially well for berry-based variations as it adds a little something extra when it comes to flavour!
Alternatively, you could use one of these water-soluble CBD oils for your lemonades.
Do You Have to Use Sugar in Your CBD Lemonade?
As we mentioned, there are plenty of homemade CBD lemonade benefits. One of the major pros is that you can use whatever ingredients you want. This means you don’t have to use sugar to sweeten the deal. You can use other alternatives to sweeten your beverages, making them slightly healthier. Some of our favourite sugar alternatives are:
- Raw Honey: Raw honey is packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals because it’s not filtered or pasteurised. This means it contains bee pollen and beeswax too.
- Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup is similar to raw honey in that it offers antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s also thought to help with digestion!
- Coconut Palm Sugar: Although this is not as easy to get your hands on, it’s just as delicious as the previous options! This sugar alternative is made using the sap of the coconut palm tree. When it’s exposed to heat, it becomes granular, not unlike regular table sugar. It’s very similar, in taste and texture to brown sugar, but it has a richer taste.
Classic CBD Lemonade Recipe
Now that you know which sweeteners and CBD products you’re going to use, let’s get stuck in. Firstly, we’re going to make a classic CBD lemonade. You can enjoy this drink as it is, or you can use it as a base for other fruity lemonade drinks.
For this recipe, you’ll need:
- 1 cup sugar/ ⅓ cup sugar alternative
- 5 cups water
- 1 cup seltzer/sparkling water
- 6-8 lemons, juiced/ 1 cup lemon juice
- 6 tsp water-soluble CBD oil, or however much you’d like to use
- 1 bunch of fresh mint to garnish
Ready, steady… cook!
- First things first, you’ll want to add 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar to a small saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Then you can remove the mixture from the heat and set it aside to cool down to room temperature.
- Juice your lemons and strain the juice through a sieve to remove any pulp and pips. Add the juice to a large jug.
- Pop the rest of the still water to the jug, along with the CBD oil, and the simple syrup mixture that you made earlier. Give everything a good stir to make sure it’s mixed up nicely.
- To serve, add a couple of mint leaves to a chilled glass. Pop in a couple of ice cubes and fill about ¾ with lemonade. To give a little fizz, top up the lemonade with a seltzer.
“Raspberry Ripple” CBD Lemonade Recipe
This recipe doesn’t call for any fancy ingredients or equipment. All you need is some fruit and a blender! Basically, you’ll want to make a fruit puree to add to the CBD lemonade that you prepared earlier.
If you’re hosting a garden party and you would like to offer your guests a choice of beverages, you can make a big batch of the basic CBD lemonade, as described above. You can then separate the lemonade and flavour with various fruits. For this raspberry CBD lemonade recipe, you’ll need 2 cups of basic lemonade for the base. If you’d like to make more, simply multiply the amount of fruit used for the puree!
You’ll need:
- 2 cups homemade CBD lemonade
- 1 cup raspberries
- Frozen raspberries to garnish
Ready, steady… cook!
- Pop the raspberries into a blender and blend at a high speed, until smooth.
- Pass the puree through a sieve to remove any pulp or seeds (no one wants seeds getting stuck in their teeth).
- Add the puree to a large jug and top up with the base lemonade. Stir until the mixtures are combined.
- Serve over ice and a couple of frozen raspberries. Enjoy!
“Strawberries on a Summer Evening” CBD Lemonade Recipe
Using exactly the same method as the raspberry lemonade, you’ll make a strawberry puree and add it to the base lemonade.
For this recipe, you’ll need:
- 2 cups homemade CBD lemonade
- 1 lb fresh strawberries
- Fresh strawberries to garnish
Ready, steady… cook!
- Pop your fresh strawberries into the blender, and blend at a high speed until smooth.
- Strain the puree with a sieve to remove the seeds. If the puree is quite thick, you might need a spoon to stir it around, to help it pass through the sieve.
- Add the puree to a large jug, and whilst stirring, add in the pre-prepped CBD lemonade.
- Pop some ice cubes into a chilled glass and add in your strawberry flavoured lemonade.
- To garnish, cut down the centre of a strawberry, but don’t cut it in half fully. If you simply cut the bottom half of the strawberry, you can stick it on the edge of your glass for a nice little decorative effect.
“Just Peachy” CBD lemonade Recipe
Luckily, you don’t need to go to Georgia to get peaches for this recipe, any ol’ peaches will do!
You’ll need:
- 3 cups peaches, chopped
- 2 cups of CBD lemonade
Ready, steady… cook!
- Add the chopped peaches to a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Cooking the peaches will help soften them and release the juice. Stir the peaches, as they cook, to prevent them from sticking to the bottom. If you find that they’re starting to stick, you can pop in a little bit of water to help things along.
- When the peaches are cooked, you’ll need to strain them through a fine sieve to remove any pulp and skin.
- Then, you guessed it, pour the puree into a large jug, topping it up with the prepared CBD lemonade. Stir everything together and c’est tout!
“Very Berry” Blueberry CBD Lemonade Recipe
This berry delicious lemonade (sorry, we couldn’t help ourselves), is extremely easy to make but it tastes divine. To make it, you’ll be using the same method as the peach CBD lemonade.
You’ll need:
- 2 pints of fresh blueberries
- 2 cups of CBD lemonade
- Frozen blueberries to garnish
Ready, steady… cook!
- Pop the blueberries into a small saucepan, along with a splash of water. You’ll want to let the berries cook away just like the peaches, softening, and releasing their juices. The water helps to keep things moving (and not stick to the pot).
- When your blueberries have become soft and juicy, run the puree through a fine-mesh sieve to make sure the skins are removed.
- Grab a large jug for the blueberry puree, and slowly add in the CBD lemonade that you made earlier, stirring as you go.
- Serve in a chilled glass with frozen blueberries and ice. Enjoy!
To Sum Things Up
There are tonnes of CBD lemonades on the market, but making your own is far more fun. It’s the perfect way to get your CBD dose whilst enjoying a refreshing beverage on a summer's day. Not to mention, it’s a fabulous way of impressing your friends if you’re hosting a garden party!
You can use this basic CBD lemonade recipe as a twist on the classic garden party beverage, or you can flavour it with a range of other fruits. For softer fruits like strawberries and raspberries, simply blend them until smooth. But, for harder fruits, you might want to heat them to soften them first.
We'd love to see you recreating our recipes, and putting your own spin on them. Don't forget to share and tag us on Instagram! You can find us right here.
