Strawberry Basil Lemonade

Hello from the beach!
I love the beach, and I love lemonade. So... lemonade + beach = very happy Kelly.
This lemonade is fantastic! I found it on Chow, and made it for my family. I left out extra basil and strawberries for garnish, but you should buy 2 lbs of strawberries just because they're amazing.

Strawberry Basil Lemonade
Makes ~12 cups- have a BIG jug ready!
Ingredients:
Sugar- 1 1/2 c
Water- split into 1 c + 8 c (cold)
Strawberries- 1 lb, washed, hulled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
Basil leaves- 3/4 c, tightly packed
Fresh lemon juice- 2 c, chilled (I used ~12 big lemons, but have extra just in case)
Ice
Directions:
1. Place sugar and 1 c water in a medium saucepan over high heat and stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil.
2. Add the strawberries, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until they've softened, ~8-10 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat, add basil leaves and stir to incorporate. Cool to room temp, about 45 minutes (longer is fine, I left it sitting for over an hour and it was fantastic).
4. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl and discard the solids. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
5. Pour 8 c water, lemon juice, and 1 1/2 c of the strawberry mixture into a big bowl or pitcher.
Note: I used all of the mixture and it was fantastic. But add the rest as you please. Serve over ice!
Enjoy!!!