# What You Need:
→ Fruit & Herbs
01 - 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
02 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves
03 - 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4–6 lemons)
→ Sweetener
04 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar (substitute honey or agave for variation)
→ Water & Ice
05 - 5 cups cold water
06 - 1 cup ice cubes, plus extra for serving
→ Garnish (optional)
07 - Strawberry slices
08 - Lemon slices
09 - Fresh basil sprigs
# Directions:
01 - Combine 1 cup cold water and 3/4 cup granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
02 - Place sliced strawberries, basil leaves and the cooled simple syrup in a blender. Puree until completely smooth.
03 - Pour the strawberry-basil purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a large pitcher, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids.
04 - Add 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice and 4 cups cold water to the strained purée. Stir thoroughly to combine and taste for sweetness and acidity, adjusting with additional sugar or lemon if needed.
05 - Stir in 1 cup ice cubes to cool the mixture; refrigerate briefly if you prefer a colder pitcher before serving.
06 - Pour into glasses filled with extra ice and garnish with strawberry slices, lemon slices and basil sprigs as desired.