Spiked Lemonade for Summer

No matter how old you are, lemonade is synonymous with summer. While the kids are enjoying their drinks, whip up a pitcher just for the adults.

That's right -- spiked lemonade is on the menu this summer. Whether you're throwing a barbecue or relaxing after a long day of gardening, these recipes will cool you off and chill you out.

Spiked Lemonade With Bourbon: Front Porch Lemonade

This recipe from Bowen Appetit makes us wish we had an old-fashioned front porch. That's exactly where this lemonade ought to be savored. Bourbon is the key alcoholic ingredient here, and mint adds both flavor and aroma.

You'll need to plan ahead though, because this lemonade also calls for homemade ginger syrup. Mince fresh ginger, combine it with sugar and water, and simmer in a saucepan. Use it in this recipe, mix it with sparkling water for homemade ginger ale, or brew your own ginger beer.

Spiked Lemonade With Rum: Honey Rum Mint Lemonade

Don't put away that saucepan yet; you'll need it for this recipe too. This lemonade from Heather Christo is sweetened only with honey, simmered with water to form a pourable, mixable syrup.

Combine the honey syrup with lemon juice and cold water, plus white rum and mint, over ice in a pitcher. These are all such summery ingredients, we can't think of a way to improve upon Heather's recipe. (Except for that old-fashioned front porch we mentioned above.)

Spiked Lemonade With Tequila: Grilled Spiked Lemonade

We admit many of the lemonade recipes we found would probably appeal more to women's tastes than men's. However, this recipe from Mantitlement is one we expect everyone will want to try, and not just because it involves the grill.

Coat the lemon slices with sugar and pop them on the grill until they caramelize. Meanwhile, mix the tequila with a pitcher of lemonade and add triple sec. Once the grilled lemon slices are cool, stir them into the pitcher too. We bet this drink tastes as good as it looks.

Spiked Lemonade With Moscato: Strawberry Lemonade Moscato

If you love strawberry lemonade, this drink from Foodie Baker might become your go-to summer cocktail. We chose it because of the strawberry purée and the pink Moscato that make it perfect for a celebration. Plus, because it calls for an entire bottle of wine, you'll want to serve it to a group.

Blend and strain the strawberries for the purée. If they're sweet enough, you may not even need to add more sugar. But definitely remember to add a half-cup of tequila for an extra kick.