Citronnade Maison: Homemade French Lemonade vs Pomegranate Sherbet

Both drinks lean on lemon and mint, but they put them to very different work. The citronnade is built around the lemon itself: zest and a generous measure of strained juice are lightened with cooled simple syrup and cold water, giving a bright, tart, clean-tasting glass, with bruised mint as an optional aromatic lift. The pomegranate sherbet instead gently simmers freshly strained pomegranate juice with sugar and water, using just half a lemon to sharpen its deeper, fruitier sweetness, while mint leaves appear only as a fresh garnish.