Basil Lime Caipirinha

1 tbs Basil syrup (recipe below - from The Herbal Kitchen)
1 lime, cut into quarters
Chilled Cachaca
Raw brown sugar

Muddle the lime wedges with the brown sugar at the bottom of a 10-12 oz glass. Cover with ice and add basil syrup and Cachaca.

To make this alcohol free, replace cachaca with sparkling water and remove brown sugar.

Basil Syrup

1.5 cups basil leaves
1/2 cup fine sugar
1/2 cup water
1/8 tsp baking soda

Blanch the basil leaves: Plunge them into a small pot of rapidly boiling water for 10 seconds, then drain and plunge into a small bowl of ice water. Drain again and gently squeeze the excess water from the leaves.

Puree the blanched basil in a blender with the sugar, water, and baking soda until you have a dark green liquid, about 30 seconds. pour the syrup through a fine strainer, stirring with the back of a spoon to help push it through. Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. It will keep up to 3 days.