(Naturally!) Pink Lemonade Recipe

Lemonade is undoubtedly a classic drink. Maybe you embarked on the storied quest of setting up a lemonade stand as a kid or have a good friend who always keeps an ice-cold pitcher of the stuff in their fridge in case people come over. Either way, it's hard to deny the nostalgic, refreshing appeal of a tall glass of lemonade. There are plenty of ways to upgrade your lemonade by adding herbs, fruits, and other flavors, but sometimes you don't want anything extra. Sometimes you want that nostalgic tang — and you want it pink. While pink lemonade commonly gets its hue from sugary, fruity juice or syrup, recipe developer Jennine Rye turns to a certain root vegetable to achieve this playful color.

"The addition of the beetroot to give the drink its hue is a little different. It's a great natural way to get a beautiful vibrant pink color without adding a different flavor to the drink or using an artificial means of color," Rye explains. Here's how to make her simple and naturally pink lemonade.

Start by juicing all your lemons — just don't forget to save the zest from one of them. "I love the addition of lemon zest as it adds more depth and dimension to the drink," Rye says, though she warns that "can inadvertently add bitterness though too if you add too much of the pith. It's perfectly possible to add more lemon zest to up the lemon flavor, I just think this is the perfect balance."

There's just one step left in this pink lemonade recipe: Making it pink! That's where your beet juice comes in. "Because only a tiny amount is used, the beetroot doesn't affect the taste of the drink at all," Rye is sure to note. "It's incredible how just a few drops can give the lemonade such a strong pink color. It's definitely something I tested for though, because as great as beetroot can be, it isn't really the flavor you want with your lemonade!"