strawberry basil lemonade sparkler
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 pound strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced 1/2 inch thick
3/4 cup tightly packed basil leaves
1. Place the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over high heat and stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil.
2. Add the strawberries, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until the strawberries have softened, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat, add the basil leaves, and stir to incorporate. Cool to room temperature, about 45 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl; discard the solids. Cover the syrup and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the sparkler:
2 oz syrup
1.5 oz lemon juice
4-5 oz champagne/sparkling wine
Fill a collins glass with ice cubes, add the syrup, then the lemon juice, and then slowly add the sparkling wine so it doesn't bubble over. You can also make this drink in a wine glass sans ice, if you prefer! I like to serve the drink with the gradient intact, just because it looks cool, but it tastes best mixed up. Garnish with a strawberry, or a lemon wedge, or a basil leaf... or go crazy and garnish with all of them. It's your party, you can garnish if you want to.