Sarah's Citrus Spritzer

I'm a Florida girl who is adjusting to the Oklahoma heat, and on days when I miss my home state (and need a refreshing drink) I turn to this incredible beverage. It's got a perfect balance of zing and sweet!

• Preparation Time: 5 mins
• Cooking Time: 5 mins
• Total Time: 10 mins
• Calories: 89 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• ¾ cup water
• ¾ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• ice, as needed
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves, or to taste
• 12 ounces frozen strawberries, thawed
• 2 liters seltzer water, chilled

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bring sugar, water, lemon zest, orange zest, and basil to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and allow simple syrup to cool, 15 to 30 minutes.

Step 2

Pour lemon juice and orange juice into a high-speed blender (such as a Vitamix®). Add strawberries and simple syrup. Blend on low speed (1), then slowly increase speed to high (10) and blend until pureed, about 45 seconds.

Step 3

For each drink, fill an old fashioned glass with ice. Pour 1/4 cup strawberry puree over top and fill with seltzer water.