How Much Lemonade for a Party?

Lemonade Planning Guide

Lemonade pours about 16 glasses to the gallon at 8 ounces each, and like iced tea it gets consumed fast in the heat, so plan around a glass and a half per guest for an outdoor event and more on a hot afternoon. For a party of 24, that comes to roughly three gallons. It is an all-ages favorite that pleases kids and adults alike, which makes it one of the few drinks you can put out as a single crowd-pleaser without needing a backup option for any particular group.

Fresh-squeezed lemonade is noticeably better than concentrate but takes real time, since a single gallon needs the juice of roughly a dozen to a dozen and a half lemons. A practical middle path is to make a strong fresh batch and stretch it with water and a simple syrup made from equal parts sugar and hot water, which dissolves cleanly where granulated sugar will not in cold liquid. Make the syrup ahead, juice the lemons the morning of, and you get most of the fresh flavor without spending the whole party at the citrus press.

Lemonade is endlessly variable, which is part of its appeal. Add mint, sliced strawberries, or other berries to the dispenser for a different look and flavor, or set out a pink lemonade alongside the classic, which kids reliably gravitate toward. It also takes well to a splash of vodka for an adults-only version, so you can spike a separate batch and clearly label it rather than the whole supply. Keep all of it very cold over plenty of ice, since warm lemonade tastes flat and overly sweet.