Cherry Limeade
by Sommer Collier — on Jul 22, 2026 My cherry limeade recipe is the easiest summertime beverage ever, and is a huge hit with both adults and kids! I use only lemon-lime soda, maraschino cherry syrup, and fresh squeezed lime juice to make the most sensational soda fountain throwback drink from childhood. It’s sweet, bubbly, and super refreshing to enjoy over loads of ice… With a slice of lime and cherry on top, of course!
I’m of a certain age where I honestly love to lean into nostalgia and share classic foods and drinks from “back in my day.” (Way back in the 80s and 90s!) It started with my obsession to recreate a mall food court-style Orange Julius recipe, and retro recipes are now one of my favorites to make for family and friends! This one today really has a special place in my heart… When I was a kid, on any given Saturday, my dad would take me to his favorite burger joint where we would order a cheeseburger, crinkle fries, and a tall cherry limeade. Now that he’s gone, it’s one of my most beloved memories and every time I sip this simple beverage I think of him. Whether or not you’re already familiar with this old-fashioned drive-in soda sensation, I’m sure it’ll also be a favorite in your family for generations to come. Cheers, Dad!
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Sweet and Refreshing – I could literally drink these every day during the warmer spring and summer months. When I think of a perfect Sonic-style cherry limeade I definitely have in mind those large cups with LOTS of ice. Then I add soda and cherry juice that are cold from the fridge, so every sip is thankfully super frosty.
Kid-Friendly – As you can probably guess, these bright and bubbly drinks are a BIG hit with kids of all ages! They’re sweet, but not too sweet, and snappy, and are made with lemon lime soda which typically doesn’t include caffeine. (But be sure to check the can!) The vibrant pink colors and garnishes also make the drinks extra fun, so like my virgin margarita recipe, kids don’t feel totally left out at parties when the adults sip on something a bit stronger.
Make it Your Way – Seems like a pretty straightforward recipe for cherry limeades, right? Well you’re not wrong! While there are only a handful of ingredients, you can swap them out or add a few twists to make the drinks you’re own. I’ve got more ideas below for switching up the soda, adding a splash of booze, and other fun ways to twist this classic beverage!
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Lemon-lime soda – I’m using 7up soda because I like the extra bubbly-ness and also that it’s not overly sweet. But feel free to use whatever brand you like!
- Maraschino cherries and juice – Using cherries and juice from one bottle makes this easy recipe even easier. The cherry syrup is super sticky, rich and wonderfully sweet, which is one of the many reasons I like to use the less-sweet 7up.
- Lime juice – Yes, please please use fresh-squeezed lime juice. Bottled lime juice has several other preservatives to make it shelf stable. Not to mention, it tastes like chemicals. If you decide to use bottled stuff I don’t wanna hear any complaints in the comments section! (Kidding/not kidding :))
- Ice – Use whatever size and shape ice you prefer. I’m just using large pieces of ice from the dispenser in my fridge. But pebble ice AKA nugget ice (to make this a true copycat recipe of Sonic’s cherry limeade) and crushed ice are great.
- Garnishes – We’ve already got limes and cherries here in the drinks… It seems natural to use lime slices or wedges and a few maraschino cherries to garnish as well! Add them right into the drink or cut them slightly to fit on the edge of the glass.
How to Make
Find the full ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Load Glass with Ice – I like to make my cherry limeade recipe in a large highball glass or tumbler. Use a see-through glass so you can, well, see the pretty pink layers and garnishes! Once I’ve got everything set up, I add a generous amount of ice to each glass. I usually fill the cups so they are about 3/4 full of ice, but feel free to adjust the amount however you want.
Pour – Next, I pour in 6 ounces of the lemon-lime soda. This is just shy of 1 cup, or half of a standard 12 oz. can of soda.
Then I add 1 1/2-2 tablespoons of the cherry syrup from the jar of maraschino cherries. I tend to go all in and use 2 tablespoons for a deep cherry flavor that is more pronounced in the soda. Next, I also add 1 tablespoon of fresh-squeezed lime juice. There is a fine line between bright and tart, so I don’t recommend adding more than this amount of lime juice.
Stir and Garnish – Use a spoon or straw to stir everything together. The heavier cherry juice will concentrate a bit at the bottom of the glass, but the flavor will still be throughout the drink and you can use a straw to stir occasionally between sips.
Right before serving I’ll add 2-3 maraschino cherries and 2-3 slices of fresh lime to each glass. Everyone loves to fish out the cherries with their own technique! That’s a great conversation starter, right?
Recipe Variations
I use 7up to make my cherry limeade recipe. In my opinion, 7up is the best soda because it’s more sweet-but-not-too-sweet compared to other similar sodas, like Sprite. This is great for drinks where you adding other sweet components, like maraschino cherry juice. However, you absolutely can use your preferred brand of lemon-lime soda!
Feel free to use a low or no calorie soda if you are trying to keep things a bit lighter.
For more intensely sweet cherry and lime flavors I suggest stirring in a tiny 1/2 pinch of salt before serving. Why? Even a little bit of salt adds a noticeable contrast to the drink, thus making the sweetness pop!
Dirty sodas are all the rage right now! They’re basically the same thing as an Italian soda, where you add a splash of heavy cream or half-and-half at the very end of making the drink. A dirty cherry limeade is more mellow and creamy, and makes it taste like a dessert drink, in my opinion.
Want to make a boozy drink for the grownups? Cherry limeades taste fantastic with a quality vodka (my personal favorite), white rum, or tequila blanco. You can swap 1 ounce of soda for 1 ounce of alcohol, or just simply add 1 ounce of alcohol to the original amount of soda (6 oz.) and make the drink recipe in a slightly larger glass.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you? Technically yes. Should you? Absolutely not! As I mentioned in the Ingredients section above, bottled lime juice has additives that make it taste artificial and unpleasant.
No, I don’t recommend making carbonated drinks in advance. The fizzy soda will start to go flat within an hour or so. This cherry limeade recipe takes no more than a few minutes to make so I don’t really see a need to prep in advance.
This recipe is written for 1 drink. Use the slider scale in the recipe card below to increase the ingredients quantities for however many servings you need!
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More Drink Recipes
Cherry Limeade
Video
Ingredients
- 6 ounces lemon-lime soda like 7 Up or Sprite
- 1 ½ – 2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice + 2-3 cherries for garnish
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Ice
- Optional: pinch of salt lime slices or wedges
Instructions
- Fill a high ball glass or tumbler half full with ice.
- Pour in 6 ounces of lemon-lime soda, 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of cherry juice from the maraschino cherry jar, and 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lime juice. Stir well.
- Garnish with a few maraschino cherries from the jar. For a slightly fancier version, stir in a pinch of salt (to intensify the flavors) and lime slices/wedges.
