Joe Moussa Shares His Strawberry Basil Lemonade Recipe

In Style's July edition, Joseph H. Moussa of JHM Event Group shared his tips for outdoor entertaining this summer. One piece of advice? Serve an attractive and refreshing seasonal drink in a beverage dispenser for your guests to enjoy! His personal go-to is freshly made strawberry basil lemonade, and he’s dishing his recipe here.

Strawberry Basil Lemonade

Prep Time: 30 mins | Chill Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

  • 2.5 pounds or 6 cups strawberries, hulled
  • 1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
  • 3.5 cups fresh lemon juice (with pulp)
  • 1.5 cups sugar (vary to taste)
  • 8 cups water
  • Ice, for serving

Instructions 

  1. Wash and hull strawberries.
  2. Wash Basil.
  3. Squeeze lemons until you reach 3.5 cups. Depending on size, the number of lemons you’ll need will vary. For this recipe, you’ll need approximately 20–30 lemons.
  4. Add prepped strawberries, basil leaves, lemon juice and sugar (or sweetener of choice) into a blender or food processor until smooth.
  5. Put blended contents through a fine mesh strainer to remove any chunks or seeds.
  6. Place water and blended strawberry and basil into size-appropriate serving pitcher or dispenser, and stir.
  7. Chill for 30 minutes or serve immediately over ice.
  8. Garnish with strawberry slices, lemon and basil.

A few tips:

  1. If using a Vitamix, straining won’t be necessary. Depending on the blender, you will most likely need/want to strain.
  2. If basil isn't your thing, try using some fresh mint!
  3. For the cocktail version, just spike it with some vodka, rum or champagne.

The Expert:

Joseph H. Moussa

Owner & Creative Director

JHM Event Group | jhmeventgroup.com