When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
Or, be a real San Franciscan and save yourself the elbow grease by finding a local watering hole that's already done the labor for you. Here are our favorite sweet-and-sour summer sips (psst: there are also some with booze).
San Francisco's Tartiest Sips
Gourmonade's Jasmine Palmer
The small-batch, handcrafted lemonade doled out by this tiny Mission stand is worth the hype (and $8 price tag), especially its upscale take on your traditional Arnold Palmer, which combines lemon juice, jasmine green tea, turbinado sugar, and water in an adorable lemon-shaped glass bottle. // Gourmonade, 899 Valencia St. (Mission), gourmonade.com
The Grove's Lavender Lemonade
The Grove's four SF locations are stirring up this purple-hued beverage and pouring it over ice for a perfect summertime refresher. If lavender isn't your thing, quench you thirst with a traditional house lemonade instead. // Multiple locations, thegrovesf.com
ABV's Tarragon Lemon Soda
Trying to cut back on the cocktails? Try ABV's tarragon lemon soda with a hint of macerated ginger for a kick of spice. // 3174 ABV, 3174 16th St. (Mission), abvsf.com
Rich Table's Douglas Fir, Lemon-lime Soda
Once you taste Rich Table's craft Douglas fir, lemon-lime soda, you'll never look at carbonated beverages the same. // Rich Table, 199 Gough St. (Hayes Valley), richtablesf.com
Atlas Cafe's Spice Ginger Lemonade
Best known for artisanal pizzas and bagels, Atlas Cafe pours a healthy selection of craft sodas and drinks. Order their spice ginger lemonade. // Atlas Cafe, 3049 20th St. (Mission), atlascafe.net
NoPa's Sunshine Fix
We love NoPa's innovative cocktails. For the bright flavor of summer, ask for the Sunshine Fix (Aperol, City of London gin, lemon, and angostura). // NoPa, 560 Divisadero St. (Fillmore), nopasf.com
The Golden West's Lemonade
The Golden West is an unassuming, well-priced sandwich spot in FiDi that just so happens to serve up a mean glass of homemade lemonade. (Don't miss out on the warm, homemade chocolate chip cookies.) // The Golden West, 8 Trinity Pl. (FiDi), theauwest.com
Lemonade's Seasonal Drinks
What's a list of lemonades without a nod to Lemonade, the SoCal-based chain that's been squeezing things up in SF of late.This summer, you can expect a dozen lemonade-inspired drinks—we recommend either the cucumber mint and watermelon raspberry. // 781 Mission St. (SoMa), lemonadela.com
