Did your grade school pool parties and neighborhood BBQs always come with a pitcher of lemonade made from tasty $3 drink mixes, or were you a sad little child like me? (Kidding, kidding; I grew up with Publix lemonade, one of the best Publix drinks in the cold bevy section, so I really can’t complain.) The ease and nostalgia of a properly doctored lemonade drink mix can’t be beat—that’s why we’re here to find the best lemonade mix you can buy before summer hits in full swing.
How we chose the lemonade mixes for this taste test
Lemonade mixes are a staple of the early 2000s, and I’m convinced there just aren’t as many products around as there used to be. Still, we grabbed all the packets we could find at major grocery stores, aiming to find recommendations for classic lemonade mixes, sugar free lemonade mixes, and a decent variety of pink lemonade mixes, too. (We even went a little crazy and tried a lemonade agua fresca, too! I know. Unhinged.)
What we looked for in the best lemonade powder mix
I’m not going to spend a ton of time here waxing poetics about what the best lemonade mix should taste like, because it’s pretty darn simple, okay, Karen? Lemonade mix is not meant to taste like freshly squeezed lemons from a Santa Barbara orchard or hand-picked by someone named Giancarlo in Amalfi—so please lower your expectations and stop demanding to speak with my manager.
As long as it tastes like actual lemonade and doesn’t have too heavy of an artificial flavor going for it, we’re in business. Ideally, the best lemonade mix also makes a great base for cheap cocktails and other doctored fruity drinks (strawberry lemonade and Sprite, anyone?). So whether you’re mixing with vodka or just trying to relive your best backyard memories, here’s the best lemonade drink mix worth stirring up for summer.
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- Crystal Light Lemonade Mix
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Oh, Crystal Light. I bet you’re as surprised as I am to find yourself at the bottom of this list. (Sorry, I’m not trying to be mean—I’m writing this mid sugar-crash.) I promise, it’s not personal. You have a lot going for you: major nostalgia factor, a very dedicated fanbase, and an oddly addictive flavor that combines sugar, salt, and a truckload of citric acid to really bring it home. Crystal Light hits with intensity. Compared to other powder mixes we tried, it carries a bold, brazen tang…and unfortunately, an equally bold, brazen artificial aftertaste you just can’t escape. Biggest strength, biggest weakness, all that jazz. I understand why many people see Crystal Light as the gold standard lemonade mix, but after a side-by-side comparison of different brands, I think there are smoother, more balanced options that taste more like real lemonade. But if you want a real flavor punch, this is definitely still the stuff to buy.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- True Lemon Lemonade Mix
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True Lemon’s lemonade mix divided the group. Some called it pure sugar water. Others claimed it had the most realistic lemonade flavor of the bunch. To me, it’s giving neighborhood lemonade stand led by a group of entrepreneurial children who, well, still have the taste buds of children. True Lemon actually uses a mix of cane sugar and Stevia. I appreciate it because it doesn’t taste as artificial as some others on this list—but if you’re pretty sensitive to Stevia, this isn’t the best lemonade mix to pick up.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Klass Cucumber Lemonade
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Klass is my unconventional pick for the group, but let me be clear: This cucumber agua fresca lemonade is not for everyone. I made a handful of people try it and received the full spectrum of responses. If you’ve read any of my other articles and suspect you might have Ariana-like taste buds (aka, highly sensitive to both real sugar and artificial sweetener), give this a shot. It would be even better with (shocker) some added cucumber and fresh lemon. I would personally reach for this “lemonade” drink mix over just about anything else on this list…even though, yes, it tastes like a spa.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Happy Belly Lemonade Mix
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Happy Belly’s Amazon lemonade mix brand really surprised me! For the price ($2.33), this stuff is potent, with a zingy tang that really lingers. Plus, one packet yields 2 quarts of lemonade (a full pitcher and then some, basically). Which means it might not be the best lemonade drink mix for your 8 oz water bottle, but it’s definitely a good deal. Unlike many others I tried, the flavor isn’t distractingly artificial, either. Value aside, that was really the biggest selling point for me. It’s no Country Time, but it’s still a bright, no-nonsense lemonade that gets the job done.
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Country Time Pink Lemonade
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A pink lemonade mix that doesn’t taste like aspartame and fake fruit? Incredible work, Country Time. The bar may be low, but you still rose above it beautifully. This pink lemonade mix doesn’t have any discernable fruit flavor like strawberry or raspberry, but it does taste slightly sweeter than regular lemonade. That sweetness is super balanced, though, and that’s why Country Time’s pink lemonade is the best pink lemonade mix of the bunch. Someone pass me a bottle of Sprite and a bag of ice. I’ll be sipping this all summer long.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Country Time Lemonade
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Country time is extremely nostalgic. I say that, but I’m not even sure if this is even what I had growing up—the flavor itself just lends itself to memories of backyard parties and church buffets. Two things I never really attended as a child, and yet, one sip, and I’m there. Perhaps it’s the squat, sunny yellow jug it comes in. Perhaps it’s that light, bright, more natural flavor that isn’t too sweet or tart or too much of one thing. Whatever it is, Country Time is a true crowd pleaser and easily the best lemonade mix we’ve tried to date.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
Boldest Flavor
Best Sweet
Best Agua Fresca
Best Budget
Best Pink Lemonade Mix
Best of the Best
Other lemonade mixes we tried: True Lemon Strawberry Lemonade Drink Mix, True Lemon Raspberry Lemonade Drink Mix, Great Value Drink Mix Lemonade Flavored, Kool-Aid Unsweetened Lemonade Naturally Flavored Powdered Soft Drink Mix, Great Value Pink Lemonade Drink Mix, Great Value Raspberry Lemonade Drink Mix, Crystal Light Raspberry Lemonade Artificially Flavored Powdered Drink Mix, Kroger Drink Mix Lemonade, Kroger Pink Lemonade Instant Drink Mix, PurAqua 12 Quart Lemonade Drink Mix, PurAqua Single Serve Raspberry Lemon Drink Mix Sticks
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!