Sparkling Strawberry Basil Lemonade
Make a refreshing, herbaceous lemonade by combining fresh strawberries, basil, lemon juice, and sparkling water.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 5 min
- Total Time: 50 min
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Stovetop and Mixing
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4-5 lemons)
- 4 cups cold sparkling water or club soda
- Ice cubes
Instructions
- Make the syrup: Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from heat.
- Add the sliced strawberries and basil leaves to the hot syrup. Let this mixture steep for at least 30 minutes to infuse the flavors.
- Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing gently on the solids to extract all liquid. Discard the solids. You now have strawberry basil syrup.
- In a large pitcher, combine the strained syrup and the fresh lemon juice. Stir well.
- To serve, fill glasses with ice. Pour about 1/4 cup of the lemonade base into each glass.
- Top each glass with cold sparkling water. Stir gently.
- Garnish with a fresh strawberry slice and a small basil sprig before serving.
Notes
- For a stronger basil flavor, muddle the basil leaves lightly before adding them to the hot syrup.
- If you prefer a less sweet drink, reduce the sugar in the syrup to 3/4 cup.
- To make this an adult beverage, add 1.5 ounces of gin or vodka per serving before topping with sparkling water.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 glass (approx. 10 oz)
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 35
- Sodium: 5
- Fat: 0
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 47
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 0
- Cholesterol: 0