Description
Craft a refreshing and vibrant basil blueberry lemonade with our easy-to-follow guide. This recipe guarantees a perfect balance of sweet, tart, and herbaceous flavors for your ultimate summer drink.
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh blueberries, plus more for garnish
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water (for simple syrup)
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 4–6 lemons)
- 3–4 cups cold water (for diluting)
- Ice, for serving
- Optional: Honey or maple syrup (to taste, instead of sugar)
- Optional: Vodka or gin (for an adult beverage)
Instructions
- 1. Prep Basil & Blueberries: Gently clap half of the basil leaves between your hands to bruise them. Rinse blueberries.
- 2. Make Basil Simple Syrup: In a saucepan, combine sugar and 1 cup water. Heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add bruised basil, and steep for 15-20 minutes. Strain out basil and let cool.
- 3. Muddle Blueberries: In a large pitcher, gently muddle the fresh blueberries to release their juices and color.
- 4. Combine Ingredients: Add the cooled basil simple syrup and fresh lemon juice to the muddled blueberries. Stir well.
- 5. Taste and Adjust: Taste the concentrate and adjust sweetness or tartness as desired.
- 6. Dilute & Chill: Add 3-4 cups of cold water (or more, to taste) to the pitcher and stir. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour for optimal flavor melding.
- 7. Serve: Serve over ice, garnished with fresh basil sprigs and whole blueberries. Enjoy your delicious tasty basil blueberry lemonade!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins