When she’s not on tour, Bey is the queen of homemade beverages.
With Memorial Day behind us, summer is in session. Well, not officially, but you’re probably beginning to spiritually embrace your favorite warm-weather pastimes like swimming and taking off for a much-needed vacation. But when you’re busy hosting your annual picnics, barbecues, and pool parties, you’re likely so frazzled coordinating a million things that it’s easy to forget beverages. More than often, you probably throw up your hands and run to the store to pick up a case of generic, boring sodas. But thanks to a certain icon, you’ll now have an easy and delicious lemonade recipe that will help you put a personal touch on party drinks.
Beyoncé first debuted her grandmother’s lemonade recipe in — you guessed it — her seminal 2016 album Lemonade. If you’re not familiar with the story, this genre-bending album tells the story of Beyoncé’s reaction to the news that her husband (rapper Jay-Z) had cheated on her. It’s an essential listen for anyone grappling with the sweet and sour balance inherent to romantic relationships. (Which is just about everyone, by the way.)
Beyoncé explains the lemonade recipe on the album, but there’s so much going on sonically that you’ll probably miss it. We’re here to help with the official details. The good news is that mixing the beverage will take only a few minutes and it pairs well with almost everything. Seriously, try a glass of this sweet stuff alongside salmon, a salad, you name it.
If you don’t feel like splurging on drinks, you’ll appreciate that this recipe only calls for eight lemons and some sugar. This means you can make your next celebration extra special on a budget. Plus, it’s pretty exciting that this beverage has a built-in soundtrack. All you have to do is press play and start zesting.
Beyoncé’s Lemonade Recipe
Ingredients
1 pint of water
1/2 pound of sugar (about 2 and a half cups)
The juice of eight lemons
The zest of half a lemon
Two jugs
A clean napkin
Directions
Take one pint of water, add half pound of sugar
Add the juice of eight lemons, the zest of half lemon
Pour the water from one jug, then to the other several times
Strain through a clean napkin
