Raspberries, strawberries and basil make a bright, refreshing twist on classic lemonade. Make this berry basil lemonade on a hot summer day or use it as a mixer for cocktails.
I’ve been on a serious berry kick lately — first a strawberry habanero jam, then a raspberry lemon granita. Now it’s berry basil lemonade. Summer is the perfect season for this since berries and fresh basil are abundant.
I’ve been trying to replace store-bought cocktail mixers with homemade versions. A few summers ago we kept a pitcher of lemonade in the fridge for spontaneous cocktails and visitors, and powdered mixes in the pantry for larger groups. Since I started blogging, I’ve moved away from many pre-made mixes and realized lemonade was an easy next step to make from scratch.
Making lemonade is simple, and this version is no exception. Start by making a basic simple syrup — just sugar and water boiled together. Then add a fruit puree and torn basil leaves so the flavors blend while the syrup cooks.
The most work here is juicing the lemons. You can squeeze them by hand, but a handheld lemon squeezer speeds the process and yields more juice. Strain both the berry syrup and the lemon juice through a fine mesh to remove seeds before combining them in your pitcher. Pulp is fine — it’s the seeds you want to avoid.
If you’re using this lemonade for cocktails, try muddling a few extra basil leaves in the bottom of the glass before adding ice and the drink. The basil is subtle and can be muted by alcohol, so muddling brings the herb forward. A shot and a half of vodka or light rum in a mason jar over ice with this lemonade makes an easy, refreshing cocktail — garnish with lemon wedges and fresh berries.
Don’t worry about the darker spots you might see on some basil leaves; purple or variegated basil varieties can look unusual but are perfectly fine to use.
Berry Basil Lemonade
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Rate Recipe
10 minutes
10 minutes
2 hours
2 hours 20 minutes
10 servings
110kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups white sugar
- 9 cups water
- 1 ½ cups lemon juice about 6 lemons
- ½ cup raspberries
- ½ cup strawberries
- handful of fresh basil leaves torn into pieces
Instructions
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Combine sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to create a syrup.
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Place the raspberries and strawberries in a blender. Puree the fruit, then add the puree and torn basil to the boiling syrup.
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Cook the fruit and syrup at a low boil for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool.
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Position a fine mesh strainer over a large pitcher and pour the berry-basil syrup through it to remove seeds. Pulp may remain.
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Strain the lemon juice into the pitcher as well to remove seeds.
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Add the remaining 8 cups of water, stir well, chill for at least 2 hours, then serve over ice.
Nutrition
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