Lemonade…with a twist!

Make your lemonade with a twist this summer by infusing it with basil! If basil isn’t your favorite flavor, give it a try with mint or thyme. This recipe will serve 4 people easily – but if you want to entertain a crowd at your pool, it’s easy enough to double.

Ingredients:
¾ cup sugar
1 cup water
1 sprig fresh basil
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup ice
1 cup sparkling water

Directions:

1. Combine ¾ cup sugar, 1 cup water and basil sprig into a small saucepan. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. This will make a basil-infused simple syrup. Let it cool.
   
2. Strain the syrup into your pitcher and add the freshly squeezed lemon juice to it.
3. Add one cup ice to the pitcher.
4. Add one cup sparkling water.
   VARIATIONS: If you prefer still water to sparkling, go ahead a substitute it. If you are having an adult gathering, add sparkling wine.
5. Gently mix your lemonade together and then it is ready to serve!

TIP: There’s nothing worse than overly sour or overly sweet lemonade…especially when you put work into it! To get the perfect blend, begin with juicing your lemons. We used 5 lemons, which yielded a scant one-cup worth of juice. You can adjust the other ingredients according to how much juice you get.