How to Make a Single Glass of Lemonade

When I think of lemonade, I always picture a pitcher — it’s just the most acceptable scale to envision. But an entire pitcher of lemonade requires many lemons, and sometimes I only have one. That’s ok, though; a single lemon is all that you need to make a perfect glass of lemonade.

Well, you’ll also need some simple syrup, but one lemon is an acceptable number of lemons for lemonade-making purposes. Don’t have simple syrup? Make some. Make a big batch by dumping two cups of white sugar into two cups of boiling water, and stirring until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool a bit, pour the syrup into a bottle, and store that bottle in the fridge. You can use the syrup to make lemonade, but you can also use it to sweeten iced coffee or tea, cocktails (duh), and sauces and salad dressings (not so duh). It’s just a good thing to have around.

Once your simple syrup is made, the hard part is over, and you are ready to make a single, perfect glass of lemonade whenever you so desire (provided you have one lemon). You don’t need any special tools — your hands will work just fine — but an elbow juicer can make the process a little less sticky.

A Single, Solitary Glass of Lemonade

Ingredients:

• 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon simple syrup
• 350mL cold water
• Optional: cocktail bitters, pickled ginger brine, or fresh mint leaves

Instructions:

Squeeze the juice of your single lemon directly into a pint glass (or glass of roughly equal size). Add the syrup and water, stir, and taste. If you want it a little sweeter, add another 1/2 teaspoon of simple syrup. Shake in some cocktail bitters or splash in some ginger brine to taste if you are so inclined, stir once more, then add ice to chill. Sip, refresh, and repeat (if you have another lemon).