We Taste-Tested 12 Brands of Lemonade—Here Are Our Favorites

On a sweltering summer day, a sip of cold lemonade—whether homemade, store-bought, or purchased from a sidewalk stand run by thrifty kids—is the ultimate thirst quencher. Making lemonade isn’t difficult. Despite the ease, however, there are moments, like when you’re hosting a backyard barbecue, when bottled lemonade proves to be a handy option.

The hard part is finding a good bottled version, since the flavor of lemon juice degrades quickly. To find the best bottled lemonades that still taste fresh after pasteurization and storage, our editors taste-tested 12 widely available brands. We chose lemonade without any added flavors, such as strawberry, raspberry, or other fruits. We chilled and poured each into cups, then sampled them in random order without knowing which brand was which. We then tabulated the results and crowned an overall winner, as well as two worthy contenders, that we’d be happy to serve at our cookouts.

The Criteria

You don’t need much to make great lemonade—just lemons, sugar, and water. Lemonade should strike a pleasant balance between sweetness and acidity, with just enough mouth-puckering tartness to make you salivate, and just enough sugar to make the experience pleasant without being cloying. Good lemonade should have the zestiness of fresh lemons, and its flavor should not taste oxidized or old like bottled lemon juice.

Overall Winner

Simply Lemonade

Almost everyone praised this lemonade for its refreshing citrus flavor and balanced tartness. “I can drink this!” our editorial director, Daniel, wrote. (A big compliment from a guy who unabashedly swears by fresh lemonade.) Laila, our associate culinary editor, was impressed by its freshness compared to other store-bought brands: “Doesn’t have that old, dull lemon juice flavor that a lot of store-bought lemonades have.” Kelli, our senior social media editor, summed up our thoughts about the brand in one word: “Tangy!”

Runners-Up

• Newman’s Own Old Fashioned Roadside
• Minute Maid Lemonade

While we didn’t enjoy a single brand quite as much as our winner, our editors liked these brands and would be OK serving them at a potluck. Everyone thought that Newman’s Own Old Fashioned Roadside had a nice acidic kick, and Kelli thought it was “the only one that was not too sweet.” Laila, on the other hand, thought the lemonade was “very sweet” but liked that it didn’t “feel artificial.”

Tasters were also pleasantly surprised by the prominent lemon flavors in Minute Maid Lemonade. Laila enjoyed its brightness compared to the rest of the bunch. “Tastes more similar to fresh lemon juice than most of the line-up. It has a nice pop.” Genevieve, our senior editor, thought this one surpassed most others on the list and wrote that it “tastes better than it smells.”

The Contenders

• 365 by Whole Foods Market Organic Lemonade
• Florida’s Natural Premium Lemonade
• Kirkland Signature Organic Lemonade
• Minute Maid Lemonade
  Nature’s Promise Organic Lemonade
• Newman’s Own Old Fashioned Roadside Lemonade
• O Organics Lemonade
• Santa Cruz Organic Original Lemonade
• Simply Lemonade
• Trader Joe’s Organic Lemonade
• Tropicana Classic Lemonade
• Turkey Hill Lemonade

Key Takeaways and Conclusion

Of all the lemonades we tasted, only a small handful suited our team’s preferences. Some of the lemonades were slightly too funky, flat, or had artificial lemon scents that reminded our editors more of cleaning agents and detergents than fresh juice.

Still, that doesn’t mean our editors all agreed. Some preferred their lemonade on the sweeter side, while others opted for one sour enough to make them pucker.

Good lemonade starts with fresh lemon juice, but most store-bought versions are made with concentrate and “natural flavors” that don’t quite capture the brightness of the real thing. Some also include excessive sweeteners and preservatives like potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, citric acid, and ascorbic acid, which can make the drink cloyingly sweet or give it a less natural tasting chemical edge. In general, our editors preferred brands with shorter ingredient lists that tasted closer to freshly made lemonade.

For the very best lemonade, you’re better off making your own. But if you’re in need of the convenience of a bottled product, our winning brands are all good options. Enjoy it on its own, add sweet tea for Arnold Palmer, jazz it up with cucumber and lemongrass, or infuse it with cardamom and salt.

Our Testing Methodology

All taste tests are conducted with brands completely hidden and without discussion. Tasters taste samples in random order. For example, taster A may taste sample one first, while taster B will taste sample six first. This is to prevent palate fatigue from unfairly giving any one sample an advantage. Tasters are asked to fill out tasting sheets, ranking the samples according to various criteria. All data is tabulated, and results are calculated with no editorial input to provide the most impartial representation of actual results possible.