Seed Oil Free Strawberry Basil Sparkling Cooler
Fresh strawberries, maple syrup, basil, lemon juice, and sparkling water — that's genuinely all you need to make something that tastes like it came from a fancy cocktail bar. The homemade syrup is the heart of this drink, cooked low and slow until the berries break down into a jewel-red, lightly sweet base, then steeped with fresh basil until it smells absolutely incredible. A squeeze of lemon brightens everything up, and the sparkling water turns it into a fizzy, refreshing cooler that's perfect for warm afternoons or entertaining guests. Because you're making the syrup yourself from scratch, there's zero guesswork about what's actually in your glass — no mystery additives, no refined oils hiding in flavored syrups, just clean, whole ingredients doing all the work. The basil is the unexpected star here; it adds an herbal, almost floral note that makes this feel genuinely sophisticated rather than just a fruit drink. Serve it over plenty of ice with a strawberry and a sprig of basil on the rim and it looks as good as it tastes.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the strawberry basil syrup
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup water
- 10 fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
For the cooler
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 4 cups sparkling water, chilled
- 2 cups ice cubes
For serving
- 4 fresh strawberries, halved (optional)
- 4 fresh basil sprigs (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the strawberries, maple syrup, and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries have softened and released their juices and the liquid is lightly syrupy, about 5 minutes.
- 2
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the basil leaves and press them gently into the warm syrup with a muddler or the back of a spoon. Let the mixture steep for 10 minutes, until the syrup is fragrant with basil.
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