The key to a good cocktail is to use fresh ingredients and good quality spirits. My Strawberry Basil Margarita recipe does just that. Juicy, plump and perfectly ripe red strawberries are pureed until smooth and mixed together with fresh lime juice and a homemade simple syrup infused with garden-fresh basil. This cocktail tastes like summer in a glass. It’s so refreshing and absolutely delicious. What a great way to unwind after a long day at work!
For this cocktail, start by making and chilling the basil simple syrup. In a medium-sized saucepan, add one cup of water, one cup of sugar, ⅓ cup of chopped basil and two intact clusters of basil leaves (including stems) that are about the size of your palm. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once the sugar has melted, turn off the heat, cover the saucepan and allow the basil to steep for 15 minutes. Remove the large basil clusters, pour the simple syrup into a glass jar and refrigerate until cold.
When the simple syrup is cold, it’s time to make some cocktails. Puree two pints of strawberries in a blender along with the juice of two limes. You are looking for about 24 ounces of puree for this recipe, give or take. Add the puree to a large pitcher along with 5 ounces of basil simple syrup and 12 ounces of good quality vodka. Stir to combine. Fill a low ball glass with ice and pour in the cocktail base, filling the glass about three-quarters of the way full. Top with sparkling water, stir and enjoy. This recipe makes 8 cocktails.
Note: There will be leftover simple syrup from this recipe. Store it in the refrigerator for later use. It’s great for sweetening iced tea or for making additional batches of Strawberry Basil Margaritas. The syrup will easily keep for a few weeks.
Strawberry Basil Margarita
Ingredients
Basil Simple Syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ cup chopped basil
- 2 intact clusters of basil (about the size of the palm of your hand)
Remaining Cocktail Ingredients
- 2 pints strawberries, pureed (approximately 3 cups of puree)
- juice of two limes
- 12 ounces good quality vodka
- sparkling water
Instructions
- Start by making the simple syrup. In a medium-sized saucepan, add the sugar, water and basil. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat, cover and allow the basil to steep for 15 minutes. Remove the large basil clusters, pour the syrup into a glass jar and refrigerate until cool.
- Once the basil simple syrup is cool, puree two pints of strawberries along with the juice of two limes. Add the puree to a large pitcher along with 5 ounces of the simple syrup and 12 ounces of vodka. Stir to combine.
- Fill a low ball glass with ice and pour in the cocktail base, filling the glass three-quarters of the way full. Top with sparkling water, stir and enjoy. This recipe makes 8 cocktails.
