Rose Lemonade Recipe for a Fragrant Floral Refreshing Drink

Our rose lemonade recipe makes a fragrant floral refreshing drink from the Middle East. Perfumed and sweet thanks to rose syrup (not rose water), it’s endlessly versatile. Add less rose syrup for more subtle flavour or more if you like. Plain mineral water is perfect as the rose syrup is potent, but you could use flavoured mineral water, or tonic or soda water. The sourness of lemon juice provides balance so it’s not overly sweet, and fresh mint leaves add freshness. Make a pitcher if you’re entertaining or add gin or vodka to create a rose cocktail.

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: Beverage

Cuisine: Arabic, Jordanian, Lebanese, Levantine, Middle Eastern, Syrian

Servings:

Calories: 12kcal

Author: Lara Dunston

Ingredients

1 lemon or lime, sliced and cut into wedges
24 fresh mint leaves divided
4 tbsp rose syrup or more or less to taste
12 ice cubes
4 cups sparkling water plain or flavoured, or soda or tonic water
dried edible rose buds optional

Instructions

Distribute the lemon wedges and half the mint leaves between the glasses and muddle them a little, as if you were preparing a caipirinha.
Pour one tablespoon of rose syrup into each glass — best to start with one tablespoon, as you can always add more rose syrup later, but can’t take it away without transferring it to another glass.
Add a few ice cubes to each glass and top up each glass with sparkling water; plain or flavoured naturally — or soda or tonic water.
Stir each glass with a swizzle stick, top the glasses with the remaining fresh mint leaves and optional edible dried rose buds — just because they’re pretty, not for eating! — and serve immediately.
If you’re not planning on moving onto wine, you could always make a pitcher of rose lemonade — and you could always add some gin or vodka…

Nutrition