Our Favorite Beverages

Basil Lemonade
The easiest way to make basil lemonade is to mix one cup of fresh picked basil leaves with one container (2 quarts) of frozen lemonade concentrate.  We prefer the pink lemonade as it has great color.  Soak the basil leaves in the lemonade for 2 hours in the fridge then strain them off.  But if you are a purist and want to make it from scratch, here's the recipe:
1 cup rinsed, lightly packed fresh basil leaves
3 T sugar
4 cups water
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
In a one and a half to 2 quart measure or bowl, combine the basil leaves and sugar.  With a wooden spoon, crush the leaves with the sugar until thoroughly bruised.   Add 4 cups water and the lemon juice.  Stir until sugar is dissolved.  Taste and add more sugar if desired.  Pour through a strainer into ice filled glasses.

Herb Punch
Simmer Rosemary, Thyme, Lemon Balm, cinnamon stick and cloves in a few cups of water.  Cool, strain, then add one bottle of ginger ale and stir with ice.

Italian Basil Mojito
Muddle fresh basil leaves with Bacardi Silver Rum until fully bruised.  Add OrangeCello, Lime and soda to taste, serve over ice.

Ginger Mint tea
In 2 quart saucepan, over high heat, heat 4 cups water, 1 cup fresh mint leaves, 1/2 cup peeled and thinly sliced ginger root, zest from one orange and one lemon, 1 cinnamon stick and 2 tablespoons honey to boiling; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.  Remove from heat; steep 1 hour.  Strain into heatproof pitcher.  Refrigerate until cold.  Serve over ice; garnish with lemon slices and fresh mint.

Italian Basil Mojito

6 to 8 large Basil leaves
2 teaspoons of sugar
the juice of one lime
1 shot of Orangecello
1 shot of silver rum
soda water
Muddle the basil, sugar and line juice in the bottom of a glass or more ideally in a martini shaker.  Add ice and shake.  Strain this mixture into your drinking glass which should have some ice in it and add the Orangecello, rum, and soda water.  Add a leaf or two of Basil for garnish and added flavor.  This recipe can be changed to your liking by leaving out the lime, which give it a more intense Basil flavor; or by using Agave in the Raw instead of sugar which gives it a smoother and a little sweeter taste.  If club soda or soda water is not available, you can use Squirt but then we like to leave out the lime as it gets too citrusy.