Basil Lemonade
I can NEVER pass up a glass of lemonade. I’ve been known to go on late night lemonade runs and without a doubt will hit up any lemonade stand I see! Especially on a hot day. 🙌
But I can’t always go out of my way to purchase it… lemonade is one of the easiest things to make and it’s perfect for serving at picnics or parties (my go-to party drink of choice)!
I don’t quite remember the occasion, but friends were over so I whipped up a batch to serve with dinner. We had an abundance of sweet basil growing in our herb planters that year, so I cut a bunch off and muddled it in the lemonade before serving it.
It was a spur of the moment thing, but the Basil Lemonade was a keeper!
Basil and lemon are two flavors that compliment each other perfectly. The muddled basil provides a subtle infusion of flavor to the sweet/sour of the lemonade. I highly recommend pairing it with Asian or Mediterranean style food dishes!
What You’ll Need to make Basil Lemonade:
- Fresh sweet basil
- Fresh lemon juice
- Water
- Sugar
Additionally, you’ll need a small sauce pan, muddler, spoon for stirring and a large gallon-sized pitcher.
Fresh Basil Lemonade
Ingredients
- 8 cups water
- 1 ¾ cups sugar
- 1 ½ cups lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 ½ cups fresh basil leaves (packed tightly)
- extra basil (for garnish)
Instructions
- Add 2 cups of water and the sugar to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar into a syrup. Once the sugar is dissolved, turn off the heat and set aside allowing it to come to room temperature.
- While the syrup is cooling, add the basil and lemon juice to a large cup or pint sized jar and muddle well. Set aside.
- Once sugar mixture has cooled down, add it to a large gallon-sized pitcher.
- Drain the basil lemon juice into the pitcher, retaining the muddled leaves and discard them.
- Add the remaining water and stir until mixed well. Now would be a good time to try it and add any additional lemon juice or water, to suit your taste.
- Refrigerate until cold. When you’re ready to serve, garnish with fresh basil, if desired.
Try my other BEVERAGE recipes or check out my DRINKS board on Pinterest!