drinks

When life gives you lemons, blend them with some ice.

Make a delicious, fresh pop with this syrup and soda water. (Or add some gin!) Plus, variations for homemade ginger ale; lemon-mint; and cream soda syrups.

Time to mix it up. Sunny weekends, warm weather and fresh fruit call for a chilled pitcher of sangria.

Even if you’re serving a batch of this Mexican slushy on your teensy patio, everything about it screams beach: it’s sweet, sour, a little spicy and extremely refreshing. —Chantal Braganza

If you’re a fan of lemonade, you’ll love this sweet-tart-minty Persian drink. (In northern India, a different variation of the flavoured simple syrup is known as shikanji and prepared with lemon and savoury spices.) The amount of vinegar you add to the syrup will determine its level of tartness; feel free to adjust to your taste. —Chantal Braganza