Greek Drinks
Limonada Recipe (Greek Fresh Lemonade)
Λεμονάδα lee-moh-NAH-thah · Limonada
Photo: Fresh Lemonade made from fresh squeezed lemons - livetocook.com by Rob Galloway, CC BY 2.0. Placeholder until original photography is shot.
In short
Limonada is fresh Greek lemonade, lemon juice lightly sweetened with sugar syrup and lengthened with cold water, served over plenty of ice. It is the sharper, more universally refreshing counterpart to portokalada, made the same simple way with fresh citrus rather than a bought concentrate.
Limonada follows exactly the same principle as portokalada, its orange cousin, but with lemon's sharper, brighter character taking the lead: fresh juice, a light sugar syrup to round off the acidity, and cold water to lengthen it, served over plenty of ice. It needs real lemons and a properly made syrup, not a bottled concentrate, to taste like anything worth making at all.
Because lemon juice is considerably more acidic than orange, this version genuinely needs the sugar syrup, unlike portokalada, where good oranges might need none at all. Getting that syrup properly dissolved and balanced is the one small technique this drink actually asks for.
A few bruised mint leaves are a common, genuinely good addition, giving a cooling lift that plays particularly well against the sharp lemon.
Key preparation steps
- Juice fresh lemons.
- Make a simple sugar syrup.
- Mix juice, syrup and cold water to taste.
- Serve over ice with mint if using.
Making the syrup
Heat sugar and water together in a small pan just until the sugar has fully dissolved, then cool completely before using. Making a proper syrup, rather than trying to stir dry sugar directly into cold lemon juice, is what lets the sweetness dissolve in evenly rather than settling undissolved at the bottom of the glass.
Balancing lemon, syrup and water
Start with roughly equal parts fresh lemon juice and sugar syrup, then lengthen with two to three parts cold water, tasting and adjusting as you go, since lemons vary considerably in sharpness. It should taste properly bright and citrusy, not merely sweet.
Serving
Serve over plenty of ice in a tall glass, with a few bruised mint leaves if you like, which release their aroma nicely against the lemon's sharpness. Serve immediately, since fresh lemon juice, like fresh orange juice, loses some brightness the longer it sits.
Tips from my kitchen
Make a proper syrup
Dissolving the sugar in warm water first is what lets it mix in evenly, rather than settling undissolved in cold lemon juice.
Taste and adjust the water
Lemons vary considerably in sharpness, so build the dilution up gradually rather than trusting a fixed ratio.
Serve it fresh
Like any fresh citrus drink, it loses some brightness the longer it sits before serving.
Limonada Recipe (Greek Fresh Lemonade)
Λεμονάδα · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 10m
- Cook
- 5m
- Total
- 15m
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the sugar and 100ml water together in a small pan, stirring until the sugar has fully dissolved. Cool completely.
- Juice the lemons, straining out any pips.
- Mix the lemon juice with the cooled sugar syrup.
- Add the cold water gradually, tasting as you go, until you reach your preferred strength.
- Fill glasses with ice, add a few mint leaves if using, and pour over the lemonade.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition, per 1 glass
- Calories
- 68
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 17 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Sat fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Limonada
Why does limonada need a sugar syrup while portokalada might not?
Lemon juice is considerably more acidic than orange juice, so it genuinely needs the sweetness of a proper syrup to balance it, while good ripe oranges are often sweet enough on their own.
Can you use bottled lemon juice?
Fresh juice gives a noticeably brighter, better result. Bottled lemon juice tends to taste flatter and can carry a slightly metallic note.
Can you make limonada ahead?
The syrup can be made well ahead and kept in the fridge, but mix the actual drink close to serving, since fresh lemon juice loses brightness the longer it sits mixed with water.
