Summer is the perfect season to sit in the shade, sip a cool drink, and pretend I have a pool like my neighbors. Admittedly, I don’t get to do any of that often. Usually, I have to be on vacation or, if at home, pretend I’m relaxing while watching the 5-year-old enjoy the Little Tikes Turtle Pool. Hey, I can stick my feet in!
One summer, while exploring St. Louis and the surrounding area, we stepped into a cute hole-in-the-wall candy shop that served homemade drinks at their old-fashioned soda fountain. I quickly forgot the name of the drink, I but watching her make it and it seemed simple enough. I thought, “I can make this at home and pretend to relax!” I switched up the ingredients and came up with a delicious fizzy drink that can be whipped up in minutes. With only 3 ingredients, four if you want to get fancy, my drink christened “The Sparkling Mermaid Lemonade Recipe” makes a perfect drink for sipping.
It is a great addition to a Little Mermaid Birthday Party or any type of Under the Sea-themed party. Or, rename it “Ocean Water” and serve it at a Pirate-themed party.
Sparkling Mermaid Lemonade Recipe
This easy to prepare drink is naturally gluten-free and a special treat for the kids. Want a more grownup version? Try the spiked lemonade recipe I’ve included below.
Ingredients You Need:
- Lemon-lime soda (like Sprite)
- frozen lemonade concentrate
- blue food coloring
- Swedish fish
Preparation Tips
- Chill the ingredients before mixing and you won’t need ice.
- If you prefer to use ice cubes, mix up a batch of lemonade in advance, pour it into ice trays, and freeze. Use these ice cubes in the lemonade to prevent watering down the flavor.
- Rather have a slushie? Freeze the lemonade in an airtight freezer container or freezer bag until it reaches a slushy consistency. This should be approximately 1 to 2 hours.
- Make adorable popsicles by placing a Swedish Fish in a popsicle mold and filling it with the prepared drink. Freeze and serve.
- If you don’t want the Swedish Fish to sink to the bottom of the glass, use a summer of spring cocktail pick to spear the fish and add it to the top of the drink.
- If you prefer you can use diet lemon-lime soda.
- Experiment with different food colorings and toppings or leave out the food coloring. Some suggestions: pink food coloring and rim the glass with Nerds candy or for Halloween, use red food coloring and add a set of plastic vampire teeth to the side of the glass.
- Swap the Swedish Fish with a cube or slice of fresh fruit of your choice.
- Substitute frozen limeade concentrate for the lemonade.
Printable Recipe:
Sparkling Mermaid Lemonade Recipe
8
servings10
minutesIngredients
1 (2-liter) bottle lemon-lime soda
1 (12-ounce) container frozen lemonade concentrate
blue food coloring
1 (2-ounce) package of Swedish Fish
Directions
- Mix the lemon-lime soda and frozen lemonade concentrate in a large pitcher until well blended.
- Add approximately 10 drops of blue food coloring (use more or less depending on the color you desire.) Stir. Place a Swedish Fish in the bottom of each glass and fill with the lemonade mixture.
Spiked Lemonade Recipe
Want to add a grown-up touch to the lemonade? Add 1/2 cup of either
*light rum or
*vodka
to the recipe before serving. Mix well. Garnish with a wedge of pineapple or a strawberry.
Do you have a favorite drink that helps you celebrate summer? What is your favorite drink recipe to serve the kids? Tell us all about it!
Pingback: Lemon Lime Parfait Recipe - Simply Southern Mom
That sounds and looks like a yummy drink recipe! I would love to try making this sometime.
What a clever summer drink! I love how the colour just pops out at you. It sounds really delicious and refreshing – super simple to make too! Thanks for sharing!
Lemonade is my favorite drink for the summer! This would be a delicious version for those super hot days.
How cute! We are wrapping up summer and I’m trying to figure out what fun to plan for the kids. A mermaid swim play date would be perfect, especially with this lemonade.
That’s a chillin’ recipe. Would love to try it for a change in drinks. Thanks for sharing.
I used to make these kind of punches before when I was a child. I love the color of this punch and it would be fun with the Swedish fish for sure.
That sounds like a yummy drink! My girls are obsessed with anything mermaid and can’t get enough lemonade!
What a fun drink for shark week, especially. I love spiked lemonade for me so I would add a bit of my own twist!
What a fun recipe, especially for the kids. This is a great summer drink!
This drink looks so yummy and fun! I have to make this for the kiddies!
This is an awesome recipe! The girls would love this at birthdays.
Those drinks are so cute. I don’t care for Swedish fish, but my husband and boys are really into them and I think they would love this drink.
This drink looks so refreshing. Nice lovely blue color is an unique way to “dress up” some lemonade. Thank you for the recipe!
Awe! This is such a cute drink idea. Love what you’ve done with the Swedish Fish. I could definitely go for some blue lemonade on a hot day.
Lemonade is one of my favorite summer drinks. I haven’t seen blue swedish fish but I’d like to try some.
This is look so tasty! I would love to try it and I’m pretty sure that my friends will love it as well. Yummy!
The ingredients do look tasty! I will have to download your recipe and make this the soonest. I love the color and those swedish fish garnish.
I love how visually appealing this drink is! I will have to save the recipe and suggest this to my cousin for her daughter’s birthday in August. I think they are throwing a party for her and her classmates. Thanks for sharing!
so so sweet, I love these! My girls would love these too!
This sounds so refreshing! It’s definitely what I want to serve during the summer especially if we have parties or barbecues! I love that it’s easy to make!
This looks so refreshing, I would totally spike it and make it a mermaid lemonade cocktail. The Swedish fish are s nice add.
THis lemonade recipe looks and sounds so delicious. Id love to make this for the summer .We love lemonade every day!
Now this is a clever summer drink! It would work at so many themed parties. Lemon and lime always sound refreshing when it’s hot out.
I want a sparkling mermaid drink, this is adorable. Not only is the name catchy but the color is just gorgeous. I can see me sipping this at the side of the ocean or pond while the kids swim!
Any drink that has Swedish fish in it has to be good! This looks like such a fun drink to try!
What a cute and refreshing drink. I will have to make this for my next pool party.
What a cute idea! So many people are throwing mermaid themed birthday parties, I’m going to have to share this because it’d be perfect!
This looks like a delicious drink that both me and my kiddo can enjoy together. It’s a fun color which generally kiddo love and I like everything that’s in it.
This is so fun. My kids (ok and my husband) would love love love this! so cute and perfect for the hot summer we are having!
Been so hot here last couple weeks. We have been drinking so much. Will have make this for a fun drink
This is the perfect drink for this week since it’s shark week! I love that it has only three ingredients and is easy to make.
That sounds like a delicious drink. My kids would love it, of course, but my wife and I would love it, too. Tasty.
That is super cute! This would be great for kids’ parties or just a “kiddie cocktail” at backyard barbecues.
That’s why I think my nieces are going to love it at my boys birthday party! So cute and creative.
I love this so much! We are having a bunch of people over for my kids birthday next week and I am going to serve these to my guests.