Basil Lemonade

I was flipping through the latest issue of Food Network Magazine the other day and saw a spread of summer drinks with interesting flavor combinations. The Basil Lemonade really caught my eye because we, again this year, have a good amount of basil growing fresh in our backyard. Their recipe used a frozen concentrate so I decided to make my own using a basil-infused simple syrup and freshly squeezed lemonade. This maybe more effort than you would usually put in to make a refreshing (non-alcoholic!) summer drink, but it’s so fresh tasting and delicious that I suggest you take a Sunday afternoon and make a batch before the summer is over…

First, make your basil-infused simple syrup by mixing 1C sugar and 1C water in a pot. Then, rip about 10 to 15 basil leaves into the mixture and let come to a boil. Once the sugar is dissolved after a minute or two, let the mixture cool and thicken.

Once the basil-infused simple syrup is cool, poor it through a strainer into a pitcher.

https://vine.co/v/hbXQ5HDWIiV/embed/simple//platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.jsNext, squeeze your lemons! You want about 2C lemon juice for this, so I found that to be about 6 normal-sized lemons. I used this hand-held juicer we have that you can find at most grocery stores and even places like TJ Maxx. I roll the lemon to loosen the juices, cut it, and squeeze!

Last, add your lemon juice to the pitcher with the basil-infused simple syrup. To this add 2 1/2 or 3C water, depending on how tart you like it (more tart, less water).

Stir and then serve over ice. And since you put in so much effort to make this drink, use a cute straw and a little basil leaf and lemon rind for a garnish, too. Enjoy!!