Quick Answer
Winter melon lemonade is a classic Taiwanese drink made from winter melon tea with lemon juice: the caramel sweetness of winter melon plus lemon’s tartness makes it sweet without being cloying. Winter melon tea is cooked from winter melon and sugar, contains no tea leaves and has no caffeine, so winter melon lemonade suits customers who don’t drink tea. Shops usually make it with diluted winter melon syrup plus lemon syrup, which fixes the sweet-sour ratio for consistent drinks; since winter melon tea is already sweet, the amount of lemon sets the balance.
What’s in Winter Melon Lemonade
| Ingredient | Role |
|---|---|
| Winter melon tea (diluted syrup or boiled sugar brick) | Sweetness and caramel aroma; see What Is Winter Melon Tea? |
| Lemon juice (syrup or fresh) | Tartness and freshness |
| Water | Dilution |
| Ice | Adjust by ice level |
Shop Method (Syrup Version)
- Make the winter melon base: dilute winter melon syrup with water in the product’s recommended ratio.
- Add lemon syrup: weigh in to your desired tartness.
- Add ice and shake.
- Optional toppings: lemon slices, aiyu jelly, crystal boba and so on.
Because winter melon tea is already sweet, the drink’s sweetness comes mainly from the amount of winter melon syrup and its tartness from the lemon. Fix the winter melon base first, test 2–3 lemon ratios, and write the winner into your SOP.
Balancing Sweet and Sour
| Problem | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Too sweet | Less winter melon syrup or more water |
| Too sour | Less lemon juice |
| Too weak | Increase winter melon syrup and lemon in proportion |
| Bitter lemon notes | Use lemon syrup, or avoid pressing peel and seeds with fresh lemons |
Spin-Off Drinks
| Drink | Combination |
|---|---|
| Winter melon milk | Winter melon tea + fresh milk |
| Winter melon green or black tea | Winter melon instead of regular sugar, with tea (contains caffeine) |
| Winter melon aiyu | Winter melon lemonade with aiyu jelly; see What Is Aiyu Jelly? |
Ingredients from Tang Sugar
Tang Sugar supplies winter melon syrup and lemon syrup (each in 2.5kg and 5kg), plus toppings such as aiyu jelly and crystal boba. For lemon dosage, see How to Make Lemon Green Tea. Request samples.
Products in this article
All 12 Syrups →
FAQ
Does winter melon lemonade have caffeine?
The version with only winter melon tea and lemon has no tea leaves and no caffeine; versions with black or green tea do.
What if winter melon lemonade is too sweet?
Use less winter melon syrup or more water; winter melon tea is sweet on its own.
Fresh lemon or lemon syrup for winter melon lemonade?
Syrup gives stable sweet-tartness and easy dosing; fresh lemon smells great but avoid pressing peel and seeds, which add bitterness.
What other drinks can be made with winter melon tea?
Winter melon milk, winter melon green tea, winter melon black tea and winter melon aiyu.
Further Reading
Sources
- Wikipedia: Winter melon tea (in Chinese)
- Tang Sugar product list (March 2026 edition)
