Lemon Basil Mojito Mocktails

Mid-July. The kind of week where Milwaukee is so hot the pavement shimmers and the lake looks like a mirage and everyone walks slower because moving fast would be punished by the humidity. The Jeep's AC died completely on Tuesday. I drove to the brewery with the windows down and the top off and arrived looking like I'd been through a car wash. The head brewer said, "Nice hair." I said a word I cannot print.

Megan has entered the phase of summer where she starts voluntary projects. This week she decided to paint the bathroom. She went to the hardware store and came back with a color called "Seaside Tranquility," which is blue-green and will make our bathroom look like the inside of a swimming pool. I did not object because objecting to Megan's creative projects is a losing battle, and also because the bathroom was white and depressing and needed something.

She painted. It took three days. There is paint on the floor, the ceiling, and somehow the inside of the medicine cabinet. The bathroom looks like Seaside Tranquility had a fight with Bay View Chaos and Bay View Chaos won. But Megan is proud of it. She stands in the doorway and says, "Don't you feel calmer?" I feel paint-splattered. I say, "Very calm."

Made a shrimp boil on the balcony this weekend. Corn, shrimp, potatoes, andouille sausage, Old Bay seasoning, all dumped into a big pot and boiled, then drained onto newspaper-covered table. You eat it with your hands. You get messy. You drink beer. It's the most American thing I do all year and it has no Polish roots whatsoever and I don't care because shrimp boils are democracy in a pot.

Megan's parents came over for the shrimp boil. Patrick ate with the enthusiasm of a retired firefighter who has been waiting all week for someone to feed him properly. Colleen said, "This is very American." I said, "That's the idea." She brought soda bread. There was soda bread at a shrimp boil. Cross-cultural fusion at its finest.

Megan’s parents came with soda bread and Patrick drank two beers before the shrimp hit the table, but what I keep thinking about is what I should’ve put out for Colleen—something cold and a little bright without being another beer in a summer that was already too hot for everything. These lemon basil mojito mocktails would’ve been exactly right: fast to make, works on a crowded balcony with newspaper on the table and Old Bay in the air, and just herby and citrusy enough to feel like an actual decision was made. File this under “next shrimp boil, definitely.”

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4 lemons)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish
3 tablespoons granulated sugar (or to taste)
2 tablespoons water
3 cups sparkling water or club soda, chilled
2 cups ice cubes
Lemon slices, for garnish

Instructions

Make the simple syrup. Combine the sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
Muddle the herbs. In a large pitcher or in individual glasses, combine the basil and mint leaves. Use a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon to press the herbs firmly until fragrant and slightly bruised. Do not over-muddle or the basil will turn bitter.
Add the lemon and syrup. Pour the fresh lemon juice and cooled simple syrup over the muddled herbs. Stir to combine.
Add ice and sparkling water. Fill glasses with ice, then pour the lemon-herb mixture evenly between the glasses. Top each with sparkling water and stir gently once to combine without losing carbonation.
Garnish and serve. Tuck a fresh basil sprig, a few mint leaves, and a lemon slice into each glass. Serve immediately while cold and bubbly.

Nutrition (per serving)

Lemon Basil Mojito Mocktails — The Cold Glass Our Shrimp Boil Summer Deserved