Pickled beet juice sparkling lemonade

A drink that’s as tasty as it is pretty!

We fell in love with dill pickle juice lemonade last year and as the weather began to warm up this summer, I began to think about other refreshing ways to beat the heat. It occurred to me that the vibrant purply-red brine I usually discard after consuming jar upon jar of my homemade pickled beets might make a super lemonade add-in for mocktails or cocktails. Spoiler alert: it does. Note that it will take about 2-3 large lemons to yield 1/2 cup of juice. For more summer fun, check out the other great lemonade recipes on this site, including this oustanding sparkling ginger-mint version.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) boiling water
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) very cold water
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice (or more, to taste)
• 1/3 cup (90 mL) pickled beet juice (or more, to taste)
• 1 cup (250 mL) chilled sparkling water
• Ice cubes, to serve
• Lemon slices, to serve

Method

• Start by making a simple syrup which dissolves the sugar and makes the sweetener easier to blend with the other ingredients. Put the sugar in a heatproof vessel and pour boiling water over top. Stir until sugar is dissolved; let cool to room temperature (you can speed this up by placing in the fridge or freezer).
• To assemble the lemonade, transfer the cooled simple syrup to a serving pitcher or large glass jar. Stir in cold water, lemon juice and pickled beet juice; taste and adjust lemon juice and/or beet juice to your preference. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours if not serving immediately.
• Fill 4 serving glasses halfway with ice. Add about 1/4 cup (60 mL) of sparkling water to each one then top with lemonade mixture and add a slice of lemon to the rim of each glass.

Makes 4 servings.