6-8 basil leaves
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
¼ cup bourbon
2 tablespoons of basil simple syrup
¾ cup peach puree
basil and peach slices for garnish
Submerge peaches in a pot of boiling water just until skin begins to loosen, about 3 minutes. Remove to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking and then peel skin off. Cut peaches into slices. Measure 3 cups of peaches and place in a blender. Add 1 cup of water and blend until smooth. Strain through a sieve to remove solid pieces. (If you blend really well and don’t mind a small amount of pulp, you can skip this step.) To make simple syrup, bring ½ cup water, ½ cup sugar, and basil leaves to boil in a small saucepan. Stir to dissolve sugar and remove from heat. Let cool. For each drink, combine 1 cup crushed ice, 2 tablespoons basil simple syrup, ¼ cup bourbon, and ¾ cup peach puree and stir to combine.