Enjoy this delicious combination of basil and lemon-lime in a sweet drink.
I am a collector of recipes. Most recently I saved a recipe for infused drinks and then decided to make my own, starting with this lemon basil infused soda. Pinterest has become my salvation from clutter but I still tear a few recipes from the printed pages of magazines. We have a few magazines that come to our home in print. I love looking through them. I will first skim through each magazine and then I will start at the beginning and systematically go from the beginning to the end dogearing where I left off. The final process is one more look over and tearing out each article or recipe that peaks my interest. Sometimes I can find the recipe or article digitally and I pin it for later but not always. That is where my collection of loose papers come in. I gather them and they gather dust.
But not always. This particular recipe became a reality before I let it gather any dust and I am sure glad I did. I chose to make lemon basil infused soda because I was growing lemon basil and that seemed like a great starting point for infused soda. I used a no name lemon-lime soda, which worked just fine but I do recommend you let it go a day or two flat as to not overpower the lemon basil.
Tips and Tricks:
- Try a different type of simple syrup, like this cranberry simple syrup for a yummy twist in this drink!
Lemon Basil Infused Soda
Ingredients
- 2 oz lemon basil infused simple syrup*
- 6 oz lemon-lime soda
- 3 leaves of lemon basil (to garnish)
For the Simple Syrup:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- zest of 1 lemon cut in strips
- 3 sprigs lemon basil
Instructions
For the lemon basil simple syrup:
- In a medium pot add your sugar and water, simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves
- Don't cook any longer than needed to dissolve the sugar
- Remove from the stove
- Add your lemon zest and lemon basil and let seep (sit together) overnight or a least for several hours
- Pour your syrup into a bottle to store in the fridge after removing the lemon zest and lemon basil
For the lemon basil infused soda:
- Put 3 or 4 leaves of your lemon basil in the bottom of your glass, smash
- Pour 2 oz of simple syrup over the leaves
- Add 6 oz of slightly flattened lemon lime flavored soda
- Stir together ever so gentle - if might bubble a bit
- Add ice cubes and serve, removing the lemon basil leaves before drinking
I have since tried it with mint and it was just as good. Follow the recipe but use your mint herbs instead of your lemon basil. What other herb flavors do you think would be good?
Enjoy this delicious combination of basil and lemon-lime in a sweet drink.
Carole from Carole's Chatter says
Hi Ellen, great drink How about adding it to the Food on Friday: Cocktails/Mocktails collection over at Carole’s Chatter? Cheers
Ashley | The Recipe Rebel says
I love my cooking magazines too! I don’t have any subscriptions right now, but whenever I’m at my mom’s I have to steal her latest copy of Taste of Home. This soda looks so refreshing!
Ellen Garrett says
Taste of Home always has some great recipes. I follow them on facebook.