Refreshing Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade Recipe with Fresh Basil
A vibrant and refreshing sparkling strawberry lemonade with fresh basil that balances sweet, tart, and herbal flavors, perfect for summer gatherings and easy to make.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Beverage
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (or organic cane sugar; honey can be substituted with slightly less amount)
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
- 10 fresh basil leaves, washed and gently torn
- 4 cups cold sparkling water
- Ice cubes
- Optional: lemon slices for garnish
- Optional: strawberry slices for garnish
- Optional: simple syrup for extra sweetness
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups hulled and quartered fresh strawberries, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice. Stir to combine.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Let simmer for 10-12 minutes until strawberries soften and mixture thickens slightly.
- Tear about 10 fresh basil leaves and add to the syrup in the last 2 minutes of simmering. Stir gently to release flavor without bitterness.
- Remove saucepan from heat and let syrup cool slightly. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl or pitcher to remove solids for a smooth syrup. Press gently to extract liquid. (Skip straining for chunkier texture.)
- Refrigerate syrup for at least 30 minutes to chill completely.
- Once chilled, pour strawberry basil syrup into a large pitcher and add 4 cups cold sparkling water. Stir gently to combine without losing fizz.
- Fill glasses with ice cubes and pour sparkling strawberry lemonade over. Garnish with lemon slices, strawberry halves, and small basil leaves if desired.
Notes
Simmer gently to avoid bitterness. Add basil near the end of simmering to keep flavor fresh. Chill syrup well before mixing with sparkling water to maintain fizz. Adjust sweetness by adding simple syrup or more sparkling water as needed. Syrup can be made a day ahead for better flavor infusion.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (approximate)
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 20
- Sodium: 5
- Carbohydrates: 23
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 1
Keywords: sparkling strawberry lemonade, fresh basil lemonade, summer drink, refreshing beverage, homemade lemonade, strawberry syrup, basil drink