Courtesy of Dan Barber, chef and co-owner, Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns
1 bottle of white wine
1 cup water
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 cup sugar
Zest of 5 lemons
1.5 liters tonic water
1 bunch opal basil (*Can substitute with lemon thyme or pineapple sage for a different flavor)
Herb for garnish
In a large pot, bring wine, lemon juice, 1 cup water, and sugar to a boil. Add lemon zest. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove pot from heat, add 1 bunch of opal, and let steep for 15 minutes. While mixture is still hot, add a few more opal basil sprigs, plus more sugar and lemon juice to taste.
Set a 1 1/2-quart container in a bowl and fill bowl halfway with ice. Strain wine mixture into container. Place bowl in freezer and add water to cover ice. Chill until cold and mixture is slushy, about 8 hours.
Divide among glasses, then top off with tonic water. Garnish with opal basil leaves.
*For Dan Barber’s full story, Click Here
