When life gives you lemons...

Much like many "recent" (dear God has it really been a year?) post-grads, I live in a non-airconditioned, very hot apartment.  While sitting (really sprawling) out on the couch fanning myself with really anything I could find, I decided to make something thirst quenching and cool: LEMONADE!  After that first batch (which was so delicious it was gone in less than 24 hours) I felt inspired to come up with some of my own unique (read pretentious hipster) lemonade recipes.  And now I will share them with you!

Sugar water (hint: use for iced coffee)

Classic:
7 lemons (6 for squeezing, 1 for garnish)
1 cup sugar
About 5 cups of water

In a sauce pan boil 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar until all sugar has dissolved (about 10 mins total). 
While this is happening squeeze 6 of the lemons (if you don't have a squeezer use a strainer so that you don't get seeds in the lemon juice).
When you are finished you should have 1 cup of lemon juice. 
Put the lemon juice, the sugar water, and 4 cups of water in a pitcher and stir completely.
Cut the last lemon in whole circle for a garnish.

You can add more water if you want it a bit more diluted. 

The rest of the lemonades use the classic recipe as the base. 

Strawberry:
Use the classic lemonade recipe, but wait to add the 4 cups of water (so you have a pitcher with lemon juice and sugar water).
If you can, use your squeezer, if you don't have one use a strainer and crush the strawberries so that the juice goes into the measuring cup.  1 standard box of strawberries should make about a half a cup of strawberry juice. 
It is usually easier if you cut the strawberries into quarters.
Add the half cup of strawberry juice to the lemon/sugar water, and stir. 
Add 5 cups of water to the mixture and stir again.
Use the left over crushed strawberries and some slices of lemon as garnish.

Sage and Thyme:
Again, you will use the classic recipe, but before you start anything crush the sage and thyme.
As you are boiling the sugar water add the crushed sage and thyme.
When mixing everything pour all of the sugar water including the sage and the thyme.
Right before you are about to serve it put the lemonade through a strainer to pull out the herbs.

Ginger Mint:
Before beginning anything cut off part of the ginger root shave off the skin and chop the ginger (not too finely). You should have about 1/3 of a cup. 
Chop the mint leaves.  You should have about 1/3-1/2 cup. 
Start boiling the sugar and the water, and add the ginger and mint.  Let boil for about 10-15 mins on medium high heat.  Stir frequently.
Continue with the classic recipe, but as you are pouring the sugar water in, use a strainer. 
Save some mint leaves so when you are serving it you can put a little sprig of mint leaves on top.

Black and Blue:
So you need about equal amounts of blackberries and blueberries.  I used 2 small containers of blackberries and 1 large container of blueberries.  Since blackberries have the dominating flavor its ok to have a bit more blueberries than blackberries. 
Make the classic lemonade, but before adding the final 4 cups of water juice the blackberries and blueberries using a squeezer or a strainer and a press. 
Add the berry juice to the lemon juice and sugar water then add the last 4 cups of water.  Use lemons for a garnish, the berries fall apart if you use them.

Blueberry Pomegranate:
The trick with this one is the seeds.  Pomegranates have a fuck ton of seeds, and they go EVERYWHERE.  I found that when you cut them in half (I used 2 btw) it helps to scrape some of the seeds out before hand using a spoon or a fork.
Once some of the seeds have been taken out, use the squeezer (even if you use a squeezer you should also use strainer, and if you are using a strainer be careful that the seeds don't slip out. 
Juice the blueberries in the same way.
Follow the directions for the classic lemonade, adding the pomegranate juice and blueberry juice after the lemon juice. 

And last, but not least:
The Arnold Palmer:
I know this is not technically a lemonade, but it's half lemonade, so I think it counts.  That, and it's DELICIOUS.  Making an Arnold Palmer is easy: half lemonade and half iced tea.  I have compiled a list of some interesting combinations for your consideration. 

Blueberry tea
Peppermint tea
Cranberry tea
Ginger
Elderberry
Green tea