A much-needed cocktail: Spiked Basil Lemonade

Ever have one of those days where things are going along swimmingly, not a care in the world, and then suddenly you’re picking up your dog from emergency surgery at 10 o’clock at night? Yeah, me too…

That was our Saturday night. I’m beyond thankful that we were home and not out drinking green beer while our sweet little pup was suffering, unbeknownst to us. I’ve never been so glad to be a couple of boring homebodies.

So I’ll spare you the gory details, but suffice it to say it involved his behind. And we now have a very uncomfortable miniature dachshund on our hands. If you know me, you know I’m a bit of a nervous wreck with things like doctors, procedures, open wounds, sutures, etc. As a result, I’m a bit on edge now, as I sit with this helpless little creature who wakes up every so often and thrashes around in his cone trying to get to what’s hurting him at the other end. It’s incredibly hard to watch and I instantly break into a sweat as I try to comfort him.

The next few days are not looking too good at this moment. Andy, who is one of the calmest people I’ve ever met, keeps giving me reachable goals in regard to time. Things like: “Okay, let's just get to noon, and it will be that much better,” and “By the end of tonight, he’ll have that much more healing time behind him.” He knows that I can only handle several hour increments, apparently. I’m sure I speak for all of us, including our furry little boy, when I say that I can’t wait to be on the other side of this.

In the meantime, who needs a cocktail?? I know somebody...I’ll give you a hint: it’s me.

My sister and I replicated this cocktail many years ago after having it at a restaurant. I remember something comical happening as we tried to make homemade lemonade, but I don’t know exactly what. I think it had to do with several very sour attempts before getting it right, but once we did, there was much rejoicing. And drinking, of course.

Spiked Basil Lemonade

Makes 6-8 drinks, depending on how they’re served

1 batch simple syrup (see recipe below)

2 cups fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cups citron vodka

20 large basil leaves, roughly torn

1/2 a lemon, cut into 4 pieces

sugar and a lemon wedge, if serving as martinis

In a pitcher, muddle basil and lemon pieces. Pour in simple syrup, lemon juice and vodka. (Let sit for about 20 minutes to allow basil flavor to infuse the lemonade.)

Serve over ice or in a martini glass.

For martinis, run a lemon wedge around the rim of a glass and dip rim in sugar. Shake with ice and strain.

Note: Don’t prepare too far in advance as basil will start to discolor and turn black after a few hours.

Simple syrup

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan on high heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer for a few minutes until sugar is completely dissolved and mixture is slightly thickened. Let cool. Yield should be about 1 1/4 cups.

Watch out for these…I put them in the “dangerous” category for going down so easily. They’ve got just the right combination of sweetness, tartness and goodness and would make a perfect beverage choice for a brunch, a day on the patio, or when you’re trying to calm your nerves because your dog just had butt* surgery. 

(*That fine descriptor was added by Andy when he proofread for me. I knew something was up when I heard snickering...and since it made me laugh out loud, it stayed.)