Last verified 17 September 2026
Copycat Watermelon Lemonade Recipe
How to build the 7 Brew Watermelon Lemonade at home — 6 ingredients, 10 minutes, 212 calories a serving, and roughly $1.36 cheaper per drink than the $4.43 you would pay at the window. This is the recipe I keep coming back to when I am not standing in line.
What you are aiming for — a Watermelon Lemonade off the board. The stand's Medium is 212 calories; this version comes in at 212.
A Watermelon Lemonade is a lemonade build. Watermelon lemonade is mostly a juice problem: watermelon juice is delicate and goes flat fast. Juice it fresh, use it within the hour, and never heat it.
At a glance
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Prep time | 10 minutes |
| Cook time | No cooking |
| Total time | 10 minutes |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Yield | 1 drink (16 oz) |
| Calories (per serving) | 212 kcal |
| Sugar | 40 g |
| Caffeine | None |
| Home cost | $3.07 |
| Stand price (Medium) | $4.43 |
| You save | $1.36 (31%) |
Ingredients
- 120 ml fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
- 150 ml simple syrup
- 400 ml cold water
- 120 ml fresh watermelon juice and 2 tbsp simple syrup
- a watermelon wedge
- Ice
Equipment
- Citrus juicer
- 1 L pitcher
- Fine-mesh sieve
- 16 oz glass
How to make it
- Juice about 4 lemons until you have 120 ml, then strain it to remove pulp and pips.
- Make the base: dissolve the sugar in 150 ml of just-boiled water, let it cool, then combine with the lemon juice and 400 ml of cold water. Chill at least 30 minutes.
- Put the fruit in the bottom of a 16 oz glass and muddle lightly — press just enough to release juice, not enough to shred it.
- Fill the glass with ice and pour 240 ml of the lemonade base over it.
- Stir in 120 ml fresh watermelon juice and 2 tbsp simple syrup. Taste and adjust: more syrup for sweet, a squeeze more lemon for tart.
- Add a watermelon wedge and serve immediately while the ice is still hard.
Tips that actually matter
- Juice the watermelon fresh and use it within the hour.
- Never heat watermelon juice — it loses all of its aroma.
- Strain it; the pulp makes the drink grainy.
Variations
- Frozen watermelon lemonade blended with ice.
- Watermelon mint lemonade: muddle 3 mint leaves into the glass.
- Add a splash of coconut for a creamier version.
What it costs to make at home
| Component | Estimated cost |
|---|---|
| 120 ml fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons) | $0.55 |
| 150 ml simple syrup | $0.48 |
| 400 ml cold water | $0.35 |
| 120 ml fresh watermelon juice and 2 tbsp simple syrup | $0.35 |
| a watermelon wedge | $0.35 |
| Ice | $0.35 |
| Total per serving | $3.07 |
| Stand price (Medium 24 oz) | $4.43 |
| Saving per drink | $1.36 |
Costs assume supermarket prices and a syrup bottle amortised over roughly 25 drinks. The first drink is more expensive than $3.07 because you are buying the bottle; by the fifth drink you are clearly ahead.
How this recipe compares
Across all 46 copycat recipes on this site, this one is the 38th fastest at 10 minutes and the 11th lightest at 212 calories — 90 calories below the 302-calorie average.
Same technique (lemonade)
More Lemonades recipes
Verified · prices & nutrition are estimates — confirm at your stand