# Components:
→ Fruit & Herbs
01 - 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
02 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves, plus extra for garnish
03 - 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4–6 lemons)
→ Sweetener
04 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar (or honey/agave for vegan/variation)
→ Water
05 - 5 cups cold water
06 - 1 cup ice cubes, plus more for serving
→ Garnish (optional)
07 - Strawberry slices
08 - Lemon slices
09 - Fresh basil sprigs
# Preparation Steps:
01 - In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup water and sugar. Heat over medium, stirring until the sugar dissolves to make a simple syrup. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
02 - In a blender, combine strawberries, basil leaves, and the cooled simple syrup. Blend until smooth.
03 - Strain the strawberry-basil mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large pitcher, pressing to extract as much juice as possible.
04 - Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and 4 cups cold water to the pitcher. Stir well to combine.
05 - Add ice cubes and stir again. Taste and adjust sweetness or lemon to preference. Serve in glasses filled with additional ice, and garnish with strawberry slices, lemon slices, and basil sprigs as desired.
