Strawberry Basil Lemonade Mix

# What You'll Need:

01 - 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

02 - 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, approximately 4 to 5 lemons

03 - 1/3 cup honey or agave syrup, adjusted to taste

04 - 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, plus extra for garnish

05 - 4 cups cold water

06 - 1 cup club soda or sparkling water, optional for carbonation

07 - Ice cubes as needed

01 - Combine strawberries, basil leaves, lemon juice, and honey or agave syrup in a blender and process until smooth.

02 - Pour the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large pitcher to remove pulp and seeds.

03 - Pour cold water into the pitcher and stir thoroughly to combine.

04 - Taste the mixture and adjust sweetness or acidity by adding additional honey, agave syrup, or lemon juice as desired.

05 - Add ice cubes and club soda or sparkling water immediately before serving for carbonation.

06 - Pour into glasses and garnish each serving with fresh basil leaves and sliced strawberries.

01 -

It comes together in 15 minutes with no cooking, just blending and pouring—perfect when you realize guests are arriving in an hour.
The basil lifts the strawberry flavor in a way that feels unexpectedly sophisticated, like you know something most people don't.
One pitcher serves six, so you can actually enjoy your own drink instead of playing bartender all evening.

02 -

Strain the mixture even if it feels like extra work—unstrained pulp looks unappetizing and changes the texture in ways you won't love once it sits.
Add sparkling water only right before serving, because club soda loses its carbonation quickly once mixed into a large pitcher of liquid.

03 -

Squeeze your lemons the morning of, rather than the night before, because fresh lemon juice oxidizes and loses brightness if it sits too long.
A bench scraper or rubber spatula makes straining faster because you can actually press the fruit solids down without destroying your mesh sieve.