Step 1

In a small saucepan, add the brown sugar and one cup of water. Stir to dissolve.

Step 2

Turn the heat to medium and bring this to a boil. Stir gently from time to time. After it's boiled for a minute or two, turn off the heat and let the simple syrup come to room temperature.

Step 3

While the simple syrup is cooling, prepare your lemons. Cut them in half lengthwise (leaving the pointy ends intact) and squeeze out the juice into a liquid measuring cup to ensure you get one cup of juice.

Step 4

Once the simple syrup has cooled, add the lemon juice to it and stir. Pour this into a pitcher and add another 3 cups of water. Taste test it and see if it's still too strong or the perfect taste for you. I usually add between 4 and 5 cups of water. Place it in the fridge until you're ready to serve.

Step 5

If you want a berry flavored lemonade, place about an eighth of a cup of fruit into a tall glass. If you're using frozen fruit, be sure you've thawed it first. If you're using fresh fruit, wash it and remove any stems or leaves you need to, then cut it into large chunks. Using a wooden spoon, muddle the fruit in the bottom of the glass.

Step 6

Add ice cubes, then pour your lemonade on top. Feel free to use the wooden spoon to stir it one last time to get the fruit distributed both over and under the ice.