strawberry basil {vodka} lemonade.

Do I even need to say anything to convince you to make this summer cocktail of perfection, like, this weekend?

{Or, today. Today works, too}

The best part? You don’t even need a recipe. Just add ingredients to taste.

Strawberry Basil Vodka Lemonade

Strawberries

Fresh basil leaves

Good vodka

Lemonade

Fresh lemon slices

Begin this party like you would any other – with a nice sugar rim. Rub a cut lemon slice around the edge of the glass, and then press the top of the glass into a small plate of sugar. Now, you can get to muddling. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the empty glass, add a few basil leaves, grab a wooden spoon and get to work. Depending on how sweet your lemonade is, you could add a simple syrup or some extra sugar here. You’re really just trying to break the flavor up out of the leaves into the citrus. Next, get your strawberries and lemonade into a blender, along with a good pour of vodka. I used fresh strawberries because, duh, they’re in season, but you could always use frozen. Likewise, the lemonade is flexible. I recommend making a homemade version, like this, but something like Crystal Light would be a nice low-calorie substitute. Pureé the ingredients and voilà.

Serve over ice, and garnish with lemon and strawberry slices and a few more basil leaves if you’re feeling fancy. And you should, because fancy is fun.

Cheers!