Limoncello-Basil Cooler

Every Friday, my fiance (Rob) and I kick off the weekend with "cocktail hour" where we sit in the kitchen and chat and laugh and enjoy different drinks before making dinner.

Last night, we had crab cakes for an appetizer and sushi-grade Ahi Tuna steaks for dinner, with asparagus and rice.

Seafood and lemon go together so perfectly, so my cocktail hour drink was my "Limoncello-Basil Cooler." (Rob loves this creation, and insisted I share it on this blog).

It's simple - a shot (or two) of Limoncello, about six ounces of club soda or sparkling water, and a few leaves of fresh basil.

The limoncello used in this recipe I made myself, but any type will work. San Pellegrino is what we had in the fridge, so that's why I chose it. You could also use mint instead of basil, which is also really delicious.

I came up with the idea to use basil in this recipe because we have a small hydroponic garden in our dining room with a massive amount of basil growing. We need to use it up somehow, so why not in drinks? When cut fresh, basil is so aromatic and flavorful. It's unexpected, but the perfect addition to this cocktail.

All you need to do is pour the ingredients over ice, garnish with another basil leaf, and bottoms up!

It's so refreshing, especially for a warm spring day.