Sparkling Strawberry Basil Lemonade
Make a refreshing, homemade sparkling lemonade featuring fresh strawberries, aromatic basil, and bright lemon juice.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 55 min
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Stovetop and Mixing
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4-5 lemons)
- 3 cups chilled sparkling water or club soda
Instructions
- Make the strawberry basil syrup: Combine strawberries, sugar, and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the basil leaves to the saucepan. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes.
- Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing gently on the solids to extract liquid. Discard the solids. Let the syrup cool completely.
- In a large pitcher, combine the cooled strawberry basil 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 chilled sparkling water. Stir gently.
- Garnish with a strawberry slice and a small basil sprig before serving.
Notes
- For a stronger basil flavor, muddle a few basil leaves in the bottom of each serving glass before adding ice.
- You can make the syrup up to one week ahead and store it covered in the refrigerator.
- Adjust the amount of syrup to your preferred sweetness level.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1 cup)
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg