Strawberry Basil Refresher
This drink is a great one to have on hand in the summer, when basil and strawberries are in great supply. Mashed together, they create the kind of refresher that feels like a welcome tonic after hours in the sun.
Tips and Tricks
Use fresh ingredients
This drink is meant to be enjoyed with real strawberries and basil, not the dried version of these. While you could potentially substitute basil for Thai basil or a similar plant, make sure you use the leaves.
Why do we mash this?
Mashing your ingredients helps to release the flavors in a way that doesn’t happen when you blend them. With basil especially, you’ll want to pound out the flavor from the leaves into the strawberry and maple syrup mixture.
Do I have to strain this?
You don’t have to strain after you mash the ingredients together. All this does is it makes it easier to drink so you don’t have chunks of strawberry or basil leaves in your cup. If you like the look though, and you don’t mind the chunks, then that’s perfectly fine!
Ingredients:
(Makes 2 drinks)
2 cups strawberries, chopped (best to use overly ripe ones, or ones on the verge of going bad)
¼ cup basil leaves, torn by hand
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 cups sparkling water
Directions:
In a small bowl, place your strawberries, basil leaves, and maple syrup. Mash them together until everything is blended well together and almost no solid pieces of strawberry remain. You can taste test here to make sure the flavors are to your liking, or if you need to adjust.
Strain this into a second bowl. You should have about a cup and a half’s worth of juice. Divide this between two glasses filled with ice cubes. Add 1 cup of sparkling water to each glass. Garnish with a sprig of basil and serve.
