A refreshing mango and fresh basil spritzer! Perfect for having on hand for warm sunny summer days!
Just saying the word Spritzer over and over again makes me feel cool- like temperature cool, not the hip cool. I guess it's a fancy word for sparkling water, and you know I can pull of fancy if I try really really hard, right. You can use this Melon and Kiwi Agua Fresca as evidence if you don't believe me. I fancified my spritzer water even more by adding basil syrup and fresh mango puree. Basil what? Where do I even buy that I can hear you screaming. But you won't be buying it, you'll be making it and it's so damn easy. The best way to sweeten a lemonade or a cool summer drink like this is not to dump a bucket of sugar straight into it and hope that it dissolves, I can feel my teeth groaning at that prospect. No, please don't do that. Make a simple syrup of sugar and water and soak some fresh herbs in it to boost that syrup flavor. It'll blow you away.
How to test for a ripe mango
Check out your grocery store for mangoes. They should be slightly soft to the touch and smell sweet. If your mango is still hard, let it sit at room temperature as the fridge will slow the process down. Make sure to give them a good squeeze because most of the time they'll be rock hard, and we don't want that. You could wait until they ripen, but who has time for that? Not me, It's 85 outside and I want my spritzer like...yesterday. One you find some mangoes which are soft to the touch, you can peel them and transfer the pulp to a blender. Mix the mango with some apple juice to make THE most delicious puree ever. You're almost there.
Making the basil syrup
Herb infused syrups are fantastic for cocktails and mocktails and they're so easy to make. Just add equal parts water and sugar and bring to a simmer in a pot. Turn off the heat and add your herb of choice. Let the mixture sit until all of the liquid has been infused by the basil and then you can store in a mason jar.
Add sparkling water to some of the puree and then add the basil syrup. Taste and adjust the spritzer if you need to. If it's too sweet, just add a splash more water. This is your drink and it all depends on your taste. Yes it will taste amazing just like this. Yes you could add some Prosecco and get major high fives from all of your friends on a sunny afternoon, sitting on the patio. Do it, and have a fantastic weekend!
