Sparkling Strawberry Basil Lemonade
Make a refreshing, homemade sparkling lemonade combining sweet strawberries, aromatic basil, and tart lemon juice.
- 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 quartered
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4-6 lemons)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water (for simple syrup)
- 3 cups cold sparkling water or club soda
- Ice cubes
Instructions
- Make the strawberry basil simple syrup: Combine sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves completely.
- Add the quartered strawberries and basil leaves to the hot syrup. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes.
- Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean container, pressing gently on the solids to extract liquid. Discard the solids. You should have about 1.5 cups of flavored syrup.
- To serve, fill glasses with ice. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the strawberry basil syrup per glass, depending on desired sweetness.
- Add 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice to each glass.
- Top the mixture with cold sparkling water or club soda. Stir gently to combine.
- Garnish each glass with a fresh strawberry slice and a small basil leaf.
Notes
- For a stronger basil flavor, muddle a few basil leaves directly in the bottom of your serving glass before adding ice and liquids.
- If you prefer a less sweet drink, reduce the amount of simple syrup used per serving.
- Chill all ingredients, especially the sparkling water, before mixing for the best carbonation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1 cup)
- 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