White Currant Lemonade | Homemade Garden Recipe
Sweet, tart, and delicately floral, this homemade white currant lemonade is a wonderfully refreshing way to celebrate the peak of the summer harvest. Fresh-picked white currants lend a bright, lightly honeyed flavor that pairs beautifully with a drizzle of homemade dandelion syrup or the aromatic lift of fragrant borage syrup. Serve it well chilled on a warm afternoon, generously garnished with lemon slices, little currant clusters, and a few edible borage flowers. Equally delightful on its own or used to make crisp, thirst-quenching shandies.
White Currant Lemonade Recipe
By Zosia Culinary Adventures | Date: July 13, 2026
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Chill Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 1.5 Litres (approximately 6 × 250 ml)
Ingredients:
500g fresh white currants, stems removed
1 lemon, freshly squeezed
1250 ml filtered water
¼–½ cup dandelion syrup or borage syrup, to taste
Ice cubes
Lemon slices, fresh white currants, and edible borage flowers for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
Rinse the white currants and remove any stems.
Place the currants in a blender with 1 cup of the water and blend until smooth.
Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher, pressing gently to extract as much juice as possible. Save the seeds and skins.
Place the seeds and remaining skins into a small pot and pour in 1 cup of water. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 5 minutes to extract the flavors. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the used seeds and skins. Cool the strained liquid quickly in a cold water bath, then combine it with the currant juice once the juice has chilled completely.
Add the fresh lemon juice and the remaining cold water.
Stir in the dandelion syrup or borage syrup, starting with ¼ cup and adding more until the lemonade reaches your preferred sweetness.
Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Pour over ice and garnish with lemon slices, fresh white currants, and edible flowers if desired.
Notes
White currants are naturally sweeter and milder than red currants, creating a beautifully balanced lemonade.
Dandelion syrup adds warm, honey-like notes, while borage syrup contributes a light floral sweetness.
For sparkling lemonade, replace half of the cold water with chilled sparkling water just before serving.
To make a shandy check the recipe below:
White Currant Lemonade Shandy🍋🍺
A refreshing twist on the classic shandy, this version combines crisp lager with homemade white currant lemonade for a bright, fruity drink that's perfect for warm summer evenings. Naturally sweetened with dandelion or borage syrup, it has a delicate floral note that complements the beer without overpowering it.
Ingredients:
1 cup chilled homemade white currant lemonade
1 cup chilled light lager, pilsner, or wheat beer
Ice cubes (optional)
Lemon wheel, fresh white currant clusters, or a sprig of borage for garnish
Instructions:
Chill both the beer and the white currant lemonade before mixing.
Fill a tall glass with ice if desired.
Pour in the white currant lemonade.
Slowly top with the chilled beer to preserve the foam.
Stir gently once or twice.
Garnish with a lemon wheel, a small cluster of white currants, or a flowering sprig of borage.
Tips
Adjust the ratio to suit your taste. A 1:1 blend is traditional, while a 2:1 ratio of lemonade to beer creates a lighter, fruitier shandy.
A crisp lager offers a clean finish, while a wheat beer adds subtle citrus and bread-like notes.
For a non-alcoholic version, replace the beer with sparkling water or a non-alcoholic lager.
