Lemonade

Lemonade has become a year-round refresher, and here are 50 versatile recipes ranging from simple to sophisticated.

When looking through Lemonade, one might wonder if an entire book devoted to the subject is completely necessary, but give author Fred Thompson credit for some deliciously inventive recipes that go beyond lemons to include strawberries, rhubarb, mangoes, spearmint leaves, maple syrup, ginger, and other fresh ingredients. Making this quintessential summertime drink from scratch "has become the victim of our ever-quickening pace," Thompson says, and he combats that trend with creative concoctions like 57th Street Blueberry Lemonade, Tailgate Spiced Cranberry Lemonade, and his grandmother's Wooden Tub Lemonade, which he remembers from his childhood. ("It was the elixir of the gods.") With tips on buying, storing, and squeezing lemons, preferred serving methods, and a section of mixed alcoholic drinks, Lemonade should encourage readers to get out the juicer and stay away from the powdered "belly wash" on the supermarket shelf. --Andy Boynton