The Warm Spice Your Lemonade Has Been Missing

A cold glass of lemonade always hits the spot, but have you ever considered including some additional spices to really jazz things up? While there are various lemonade recipes that incorporate other flavors like lavender or blueberry, one of our favorite ideas is to add a dash of cinnamon. A spice that exudes warmth and richness, cinnamon is an easy way to help balance the tartness of the citrus. All you have to do is add a pinch to your glass to get the full effect.

While adding the ground version works just fine, some people may not like those tiny spice particles in the drink. If that's you, you can always consider using cinnamon sticks to get the same result. If you have a lemonade recipe that you love, just add a stick or two to the lemony simple syrup mixture while it's simmering on the stove. (You can do the same with store-bought lemonade by adding it to a pot and bringing it to a simmer for about 10 minutes along with the cinnamon.) 

Once it's ready, just remove the stick(s) and allow the mixture to cool. On the other hand, if it's a colder month and you want to enjoy sipping on hot drinks (a glass of mulled wine, anyone?), you can also drink the spiced lemonade while it's still warm. It'll be the perfect refreshing and yet cozy drink to enjoy. 

While cinnamon is a perfect warm spice to include in lemonade, you can also consider other complementary additions that bring even more flavor. For example, spices like clove, cardamom, allspice, and ginger are all classic flavors that work well with both lemons and cinnamon. You can either use a bit of the whole versions of these spices (about a teaspoon each should do the trick) and add to the simmering lemonade, or you can add a pinch of the ground version of each to your glass and stir. Just add a little of each at a time, and taste before adding more. 

If you'd like to make your spiced lemonade even more refreshing, try adding mint. It's a cooling herb that works well with warm spices, so it's perfect for this yummy combo. You can either use a blanched mint syrup that you can pour right in to your cinnamon lemonade, or add the fresh herbs to some water and blend it up before proceeding with the recipe. Either technique will produce a delicious result.