A few weeks ago, I happened to be watching The Pioneer Woman on Food Network, and she made raspberry lemonade. It looked really easy and delicious. And hot pink.

Not long after, my mother-in-law was in town and we were grilling for dinner. I realized I had a bunch of lemons and a big container of simple syrup (leftover from the mint juleps) in the fridge and a bag of raspberries in the freezer, so I decided to try making some raspberry lemonade of my own.

Juicing the lemons is kinda annoying, but you can do it ahead of time if you’d like. And the lemonade really was ridiculously good. So much better than the store-bought kind. Toby and I mixed in a little vodka, which didn’t change the taste but made it extra fun.

Jane, my MIL, loved it so much that she asked me to make it the other night when we were having a party at her house (in Kentucky).

It was a big hit — and was even better when mixed with this fun pink prosecco Jane had purchased for me. You definitely need to try it for your next summer get-together.

Raspberry lemonade (Serves 4, easily doubled or tripled. Inspired by the Pioneer Woman)
1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (7-8 lemons)
1 1/2 cups water
3 cups simple syrup (recipe below)
1 1/2 cups frozen raspberries

Make the simple syrup first, if you don’t have some already (you can buy it at liquor stores), and let it cool. Next, squeeze the lemons (you can do this the night before and refrigerate it).

Once you have the ingredients ready, pour the lemon juice into a pitcher. Add two cups of water and 2 1/2 cups simple syrup. Stir and taste. Add more simple syrup if the lemonade tastes too tart, or more water if it just seems too strong.

Once the lemonade tastes like you want it to, add the frozen raspberries. Stir and serve lemonade over ice. Make it a cocktail by adding a little vodka or prosecco.

Simple syrup (makes enough for the above recipe and then some)
3 cups sugar
3 cups water

Place sugar and water in a heavy saucepan. Heat on medium-high to high heat and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Allow to cool, then carefully (it’s sticky!) transfer to a bottle or jar and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.