Orangeade

Homemade orange juice drink sweetened with honey and sharpened with a splash of lemon. This is what orangeade tasted like before everything came in a box.

Dissolve the honey in water first. Honey is thick and stubborn in cold liquid, so give it a good stir until no streaks remain. Then add the orange juice, lemon juice, and thinly sliced orange rounds. Fill the pitcher with ice and stir.

The lemon juice is what keeps this from tasting one-note sweet. That ¼ cup adds just enough acid to balance the honey and orange, giving the drink a clean finish instead of a sugary one.

The orange slices floating in the pitcher aren’t just for looks. As the ice melts and the slices sit, they release extra citrus oil from the peel that adds a subtle, fragrant bitterness.

Kitchen Tips

• If the honey won’t dissolve in cold water, warm ½ cup of the water, dissolve the honey in that, then add the rest cold
• Fresh-squeezed orange juice gives the best flavor, but store-bought not-from-concentrate works in a pinch
• Slice the orange thin so it releases more flavor and looks better in the pitcher
• Make this up to a day ahead and keep refrigerated. It holds up well overnight

Variations

• Add fresh mint sprigs to the pitcher for an herbal accent
• Swap honey for agave nectar for a vegan version
• Top each glass with sparkling water for a fizzy orangeade spritzer