Is zesting lemons effective when making lemonade? It's too hot. The air is oppressive and sticky, and it just keeps getting hotter... I need a nice, cold glass of lemonade.

Fortunately, I have a bag of lemons and plenty of ice! So now the question becomes one of technique. Keeping in mind that I'm hot (and consequently lazy), is it worth taking the time to zest the lemons before adding sugar and ice, or will the sugar alone suffice to extract those refreshing oils from the rind?
You'll get a strong/different flavor using the lemon zest.  I personally like it.

That said, if you mash/muddle the lemons you'll probably get much the same flavor as zesting.