Lime Tinkle – A Retro Carbonated Limeade Recipe

Cool off this summer with this delicious limeade recipe that is very unique. It’s a carbonated limeade! It’s easy to make and sure to be a new summer favorite.

Recreating old-fashioned soda fountain drinks has become a bit of a hobby. I adore ice cream and sweets and you likely have picked up on the fact that I enjoy vintage things in general. Something that combines both of those things is clearly high on my list of favorites.

Since it’s hard to find real soda fountains these days it’s fun to create one at home. It’s not quite the same as getting dresses up in a vintage summer dress and sitting on a chrome stool in a soda fountain with some 1950s hits on the jukebox but it’s as close as we can often get.

The soda fountain recipe I have to share with you today is for a delicious limeade-type drink called a lime tinkle. The tinkle comes from the fact that it’s carbonated. It’s also so refreshing and delicious. I’m sure you will love it.

I would also like to point out that I did not name this drink, some find it rather amusing. The name comes from the original 1950s recipe. Yes, this is similar to a lime rickey as well. I decided to stick to the name the creator used. Is something really mid-century if it’s not a bit weird? 

How to Make a Carbonated Limeade (Lime Tinkle)

I’m a big fan of limeades. I’m in Oklahoma so a cherry limeade from two of our local favorites Sonic or Braums is a summer must-have. I also love to make limeades at home. They are refreshing and delicious on a hot summer day and we have a lot of those around here.

When reading a vintage 1950s magazine I saw a recipe for a lime tinkle. It looked like a fun take on a limeade. It has carbonated water so it’s almost a cross between a limeade and a lemon-lime soda. 

To make your lime tinkle you just need to dissolve lime juice and sugar in some water, once cooled you pour that over ice and top with carbonated water. It’s that easy. You’ll have one made in less time than it would take to go out to get one.

Making Carbonated Water at Home

Making your own carbonated water is a fun way to create soda fountain treats at home. They are also great if you enjoy sparkling water and soda. 

My favorite way to make carbonated water at home is with a SodaStream. I’ve had one for many years, mine is actually from when they were called SodaClub and you couldn’t find them on Amazon, William Sonoma, or any of the other places you find them now.

With the SodaStream, all you have to do is fill your bottle with water and push the button until you reach the level of carbonation you enjoy. It’s that easy.

How Much Juice is in One Lime?

For this limeade recipe, you can use store-bought lime juice or juice some fresh limes. If you are using fresh limes you will need to know how many limes you need. 

One lime equals about 2 tablespoons of lime juice. I always like to make sure I have at least one extra lime just in case they are a bit small.

This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of lime juice so you need at least 4 limes for the juice. You’ll need an extra or two for lime wedges as well. 

If I only have a couple of limes to juice I use a simple glass juicer and juice by hand. When I want to juice a lot of citrus fruit I love to use the juicer attachment for my Kitchenaid stand mixer. It makes it easy and fast!

Helpful Supplies and Tips

There are a few items I like to have on hand when making drinks like this to give them even more of an old-fashioned soda fountain feel.

While this recipe is simple on its own I do have a few tips to make these carbonated limeades even better.

• Chill your glasses before adding the drinks to make them extra refreshing. 
• Rim your glass with sugar by dipping the rim of the glass in lime juice and then sugar. Allow it to dry before adding your drink to the glass. 
• Add a maraschino cherry to the glass or even a few splashes of maraschino cherry juice to make a cherry limeade version of this drink.
• Add a shot of rum or vodka to the drink for a fun adult version of the drink.

Now that you have your supplies and all the tips you need, it’s time for the full recipe. Enjoy!

More Retro Recipes