Today I tried the fourth flavor in my Challenge Collection - Lemonade. Straight-up lemonade. Not raspberry-lemonade. Not mango-peach-lemonade. No flavor added to the lemon to make sure the taste doesn't fizzle. Actual it-better-taste-right lemonade.

Like the peach iced-tea, this flavor came to me canister-style, so I made an entire pitcher. (I discovered less than five minutes ago that the pitcher can actually fit in the lowest shelf of my fridge - I rejoice!)

Let me tell you about lemonade: it is usually too sweet or too sour in my opinion. Getting it right is quite difficult.

I am pleased to report that the Crystal Light lemonade made today tastes good. Initially I thought it was a little watery, but that could be my own fault for just filling up the pitcher rather than specifically measuring out the eight cups of water. But then I realized that after a run, in the midst of the summer heat, or in the car, I'd like something refreshing like this with no syrupy-sweetness. I may try another batch with less water to see if I can get the sweetness just right, but this slightly-over-watered version is perfect for today's weather and for drinking plenty of water!

As I made the lemonade, I realized what the wild strawberry Crystal Light reminds me of -- wine coolers. Of course, that got the gears in my head turning: Could I produce a sugar-free alcoholic beverage using Crystal Light?

One of my favorite treats is a lemon drop martini. And Lo! I had sugar-free lemonade right in front of me. Plus, I had fresh lemons on the counter. Perfect!

I created my sugar-free martini with the following:
3/4 oz Crystal Light lemonade
1 1/2 oz vodka (I saw that I have blueberry vodka in the freezer too, so may try that on the next round)
1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
... and then I tasted it, and decided that it wasn't yet sweet enough - too strong. Since traditional recipes use triple-sec, I added:
1/2 oz freshly squeezed orange juice

On my next try, I'll create the Crystal Light with less water to begin with, perhaps half of the recommended amount so as to create a concentrated liquid that will probably work in the martini -- and on a separate try, will do the blueberry vodka to create a different taste altogether. For presentation's sake (and probably for flavor, too) I could try covering the rim of the glass with a sugar substitute.

I'm excited because a big downfall of many mixed drinks is the caloric whollop that the mixers (fruit juice usually) end up packing per drink. Even if I concentrate the Crystal Light, we're looking at 10-20 calories per drink versus hundreds.

Okay, so the truth is that drinking tons of alcoholic beverages doesn't help with the increased water intake promoted by the Water Way Challenge; however in the event that we do drink, it would be great to have lower-calorie versions of party drinks.

What are some other ideas of alcoholic drinks that might be augmented by using Crystal Light instead of a high-calorie mixer?

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* My introductory post to the Water Way Challenge - which links all the posts I've done while doing the Challenge, and includes my Challenge Widget to show how much water I've been drinking.
* Crystal Light Water Way Challenge official site
* Blogher's Water Way Challenge Group
* Crystal Light official site