If there’s anything more refreshing than lemonade on a hot day, it’s sparkling lemonade. Unless you’re squeezing and fizzing at home, the defining line of what constitutes sparkling lemonade is deliciously blurry. We put together some of our favorite sweet-tart sparklers to tackle the heat with clear-eyed coolness.
Boylan Sparkling Lemonade
Every summer, New York–based soda company Boylan launches its seasonal sparkling lemonade. The annual offer is a cheery take on the childhood staple, with its bright and bubbly nature. The lemonade is made using cane sugar, and has a clean, refreshing fizz that’s quenching to the last drop. $32/6-pack 12 oz. bottles, amazon.com
Lemmy Sparkling Lemonade
Lemmy Sparkling Lemonade proudly declares on the bottle that it’s “made with real lemon juice.” Truth be told, it does make a difference—Lemmy tasted among the most true to traditional lemonade of the products we tried (it’s also enhanced with lemon oil and lemon flavor). First introduced by the A.J. Lehman Company, the vintage soda basks in the perfect middle ground between sweet and sour. $50/12-pack 12 oz. bottles, orcabeverage.com
Future’s So Bright Sparkling Lemonade
Self-described “farm-to-can” soda maker Devil’s Foot sources ingredients for its lineup of drinks from sustainable farms. The Asheville, North Carolina–based company’s sparkling lemonade is made from filtered water, fresh lemon juice, cane sugar, and honey from South Carolina’s Bell Honey Company. This lemonade keeps it natural and easy in the best way. $42/24-pack 12 oz. cans, shop.devilsfootbrew.com
Trader Joe’s French Market Sparkling Lemonade
An unvarnished take on sparkling lemonade, Trader Joe’s bottled offering is an easy crowd-pleaser. Here, the cane sugar used in the drink prevails over the tartness of the lemon, so serve this French-made refresher when looking to sate your summertime sweet tooth. See traderjoes.com for details.
A’Siciliana Limonata
A hybrid between a sour orange and a citron, the Siracusa lemon has been farmed for more than 2,000 years and is a treasure of Sicily, even receiving Protected Geographical Indication status in 2011. Built on the foundation of these famed fragrant lemons, A’Siciliana’s Limonata soda is a marvelous, full-bodied beverage that expertly captures the floral complexity of the fruit. $9/4-pack 11.15 oz. cans, ditalia.com
Fentimans Victorian Lemonade
Per the Fentimans way, the U.K.-based company’s take on lemonade includes a short roster of botanical infusions, including ginger root extract, juniper berry, and speedwell. Rather than steal the show, these additions round out a puckeringly tart take on sparkling lemonade. $2.69/9.3 oz. bottle, kegworks.com
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