Strawberry Basil Vodka Cocktail

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As we're swinging into some of the hottest days of summer, I'm craving light and refreshing cocktails and this Strawberry Basil Vodka Cocktail does just the trick! And if you're looking for a mocktail, omit the vodka and this will still be a perfectly refreshing summer mocktail as well.

As always, I do include a few affiliate links in this post for products I truly use and love. This just means that if you make a purchase after clicking one of those links, I'll earn a little money (at no cost to you) to keep the kitchen up and running, which I promise to use to create more fun content like this! One of those affiliates is with Amazon, which requires a very clear disclosure: as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you have any questions about affiliates, please reach out!

If you're looking for a few other fun summer cocktails, try this Watermelon Mint Cocktail (which would also make a great mocktail!), or this Simple White Sangria recipe packed with summer fruits. And if you need something to snack on with your drinks, try this Focaccia with Rosemary and Shallots.

Ingredients

As the name suggests, there are a few key ingredients to this cocktail.

• Fresh basil: be generous with the basil in this recipe! It may seem like a lot, but it gives such a soft, subtle flavor that you really want to pull out into the cocktail. Also, muddle the basil a LOT! Typically in muddling, you don't want to overdo it. In this case, I'd say, go to town! You want to pull as much flavor as possible from those leaves.
• Lime juice: just a bit of lime juice goes a long way to brighten this drink.
• Strawberries: this is a great way to use up strawberries that might be a little bit past their prime. You're going to muddle them, so you'll never notice! I like to dice them fairly small, and then muddle.
• Simple syrup: this adds a bit of sweetness to the drink. You could also try it with this Blackberry Simple Syrup.
• Vodka: I like to use Prairie Organic Vodka, but any kind you enjoy will work well here. Of course, if you want to serve this as a mocktail, omit the alcohol.
• Sparkling water, to top.

See below recipe for full detailed instructions.

Instructions

This cocktail comes together in just a few easy steps.

Hint: Muddling is the key to this cocktail! You want to pull as much flavor from the basil and strawberries as possible. The sparkling water is for topping and carbonation, but keep in mind that it doesn't carry any flavor.

Variations

There are a few easy tweaks you can make to this Strawberry Basil Vodka Cocktail for an entirely different experience:

• Make it a mocktail - omit the alcohol and make this a mocktail!
• Add a flavored simple syrup - you can add some additional flavor with a flavored simple syrup, like this Blackberry Simple Syrup.
• Change up the alcohol - this would also be great with gin as the spirit, and tonic instead of sparkling water!

Equipment

There is very little that you need to bring this together. You'll need a highball glass (I like this Vance Cut-Glass Highball Glass from Crate & Barrel) and a muddler (or you can use the handle of a wooden spoon). You'll also need a jigger to measure your ingredients and a spoon or cocktail stirrer.

Storage

This Strawberry Basil Vodka Cocktail will not store well, so I recommend making it when you're ready to drink or serve it!