If you know me, you know my alter ego: Lemonade Queen. More specifically, you probably know my lemonade review Instagram account, @lemonadequeen5678. I’m not sure what sparked my insatiable love for the drink, but I suspect it traces back to my mother’s pregnancy cravings.

The summer before college, I had the best lemonade of my life in Costa Rica, and Lemonade Queen was born. Nearly 200 followers, 167 posts and almost four years later, I like to consider myself an expert. The account, which I mostly use in an unserious manner, has played a larger role in my life than I initially expected. From getting recognized (three times!) during my first year on campus to going on successful lemonade dates with potential romantic suitors, my passion for this zesty beverage has become my most important personality quirk. 

It’s time to give my fans what they want: a consolidated list, one that isn’t riddled with my usual Instagram grammar slip-ups. Here’s a definitive guide to my favorite lemonades in New York City. 

Little Ruby’s Cafe

Multiple locations 

Unlike most restaurants, the lemonade at Little Ruby’s Cafe appears to be fresh rather than pre-bottled. As you will see throughout this article, I like my lemonade simultaneously sweet and sour, and the one at this campus chain staple is truly balanced. While it’s certainly sweet, it has a nice kick to it, though there is absolutely no pungency.

Bar Valentina

85 Orchard St.

One of the Lower East Side’s cutest bars also makes a mean lemonade. I called this one “fantastic” in my post this past summer. In today’s economy, it’s highly likely that your drinks, no matter their form, will be watered down — but I remember being especially struck by the potency of this lemonade, which is clearly fresh. The glass it comes in is large, too. Sweet with a little sour zing, it’s the perfect non-alcoholic drink to have in your hand at the bar. 

Trader Joe’s

Multiple locations

I absolutely love Trader Joe’s’ Fresh Squeezed Lemonade, not to be confused with the store’s shelf-stabilized Organic Lemonade. This is an important distinction. You may be turning your nose up at a self-proclaimed expert’s recommendation for a store-bought lemonade, but give it a chance — it gives you the biggest bang for your buck on this list, and has everything that most grocery store versions of the beverage do not. This lemonade contains pulp — evidence of freshness — and drinking it doesn’t feel like biting into a sugar cube. It may be the only bottled lemonade I will ever unequivocally advocate for. Do yourself a favor and grab a jug on your next grocery run.

Sappe

240 W. 14th St.

Okay, this one is not technically lemonade because it’s listed on the menu as a mocktail, but I think it counts. This summer, I tried the E-Sao Za alongside some amazing Thai food at Sappe. The mocktail had a nice balance of two citrus flavors, lemon and yuzu — what else can you ask for? I usually like my lemonade uninterrupted by other ingredients, but this one was an eccentric pair that totally worked. The drink was not too sweet, despite the fact that the sour citrus flavors weren’t overpowering. That’s a difficult balance to achieve, but Sappe did it well.

Justine’s on Hudson

518 Hudson St.

Unfortunately, I took the biggest exam of my life two days after my 21st birthday. That meant being the only sober one at my birthday celebration, despite the fact that I could show off my renewed, horizontal driver’s license. My friends and I went for drinks at Justine’s on Hudson, a West Village wine bar, and I ordered a lemonade off-menu — it should, however, be on the menu, because it was truly divine. The drink was undeniably fresh, filled with pulp and had a perfect balance of sweet and sour that did not leave a sugary film in my mouth. I definitely ordered a few. 

Contact Alexa Donovan at [email protected].