This mint lemonade is an herbaceous and refreshing treat inspired by my favorite part of NYC street fairs: the fresh lemonade stand. Plus a few pictures from the most recent street fair in my Queens neighborhood.

Small towns have county fairs and carnivals; in New York City, we have street fairs. We don’t have the big open spaces for a full-on carnival, so our fairs are relegated to a stretch of a few closed-off-to-traffic blocks. But the hallmarks of the street fair are essentially the same: cheap, tasty, and often deep fried snacks, the smell of grilled foods permeating the air, and the laughter of family and friends. Street fairs are essential to the NYC summer experience, and as such always manage to fall on what feels like the hottest day of the year. I never fail to completely sweat my ass off every time I’m at one. And so when I see the yellow banner of the fresh squeezed lemonade stand, a staple of the street fair, emerging above the heads of the crowd, I feel like I’ve spotted an oasis in the desert.

Those street fairs are the inspiration for this mint lemonade recipe. It’s maybe not quite as deeply sweet and restorative as the street fair lemonades that have saved me from just about passing out on the hottest day of the year. But it is every bit as cool, refreshing and satisfying as those are on a hot summer day.

ELEVATED MINT LEMONADE

The street fair lemonade stands that I love so much almost always offer a choice of four flavors: classic, strawberry, blackberry and mint. And while I love them all too much to pick a favorite, I decided to replicate mint lemonade because I happen to have a ton of mint in my garden right now. Plus, there’s something about mint’s bright, slightly icy flavor that is absolutely fitting for summer. While the street fair version is slightly simpler – make lemonade, add mint leaves – I decided to make my mint lemonade with an infused simple syrup. The mint simple syrup brings a big punch of flavor and a little bit of elevation to an otherwise simple recipe.

While slightly more technical than a traditional lemonade recipe, making this mint lemonade with an infused simple syrup is still exactly how it sounds: simple. To make the simple syrup, add one part water to one part sugar and cook it down slightly, then add fresh herbs to infuse. While mint is my preferred herb of choice to pair with lemonade, you can really use any herb you like. My step mom Nicole makes an amazing basil simple syrup – she actually uses the leftover stems of the plant – that would be a particularly tasty addition to lemonade. And while the perfect addition to summertime drinks, an infused simple syrup can also be used to macerate berries, sweeten a dressing, or even drizzle over ice cream.

STREET FAIRS WITH NEIGHBORHOOD FLAIR

The fresh lemonade stand is a staple of the NYC street fair. And If you’ve been to a few of these fairs, you’ll come to realize that many of the stands are often the same. There’s always sausage and peppers, grilled corn, arepas, and booths selling inexpensive clothing and jewelry. But in the same way that all NYC neighborhoods share similar values and attitudes but maintain unique identities, all NYC street fairs share similar booths but embody a distinct neighborhood flair.

My local Austin Street street fair showcases a few of my Queens neighborhoods favorite spots. Spy-C, our favorite local Szechuan restaurant, was serving up perfectly crispy fried chicken wings. Cabana, a near 30-year neighborhood institution, had seafood studded pallela. And a Taiwanese wheel cake stand was cranking out sweet and fluffy treats.

So while some of you may not be able to actually experience an NYC street fair (although I urge you to go to one if you ever have the chance), hopefully this mint lemonade will become a new staple of your summer, just like the street fair is for mine.