A friend served a version of this basil lemonade at a party. It was a hot day and the lemonade was really refreshing and the basil flavor was a nice surprise. I found a random recipe online and tried it.
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
6 cups water
2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 10 lemons)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into large pieces
Directions:
Make simple syrup by placing 1 1/2 cups sugar and 2 cups water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add the basil leaves to the hot mixture and set aside to cool.
Place freshly squeezed lemon juice in a large pitcher. Add 4 cups of water and 1 1/2 cups of the simple syrup (or more to taste). Add some sliced lemons and basil leaves for garnish. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.