Expert tips on making Strawberry Basil Cocktail
Use a really good gin. The best gin cocktails are made using a great base, that’s just a fact. We recommend using a London Dry Gin with a very refined distillation process. This way you provide your cocktail with a beautiful base on which you can then layer the rest of the lovely flavors.
Stick to sweet basil. There are quite a variety of basil available in stores these days. Sweet basil is however your best bet when it comes to making cocktails. The leaves are smooth and tender, which means it muddles well.
Muddle with care. Speaking of muddling, go gently during this step. You want to bruise the leaves to bring out the flavor without tearing it, which can result in unwanted bitter notes.
Choose a honey produced close to where you live. Local honey is a thing of beauty — it contains foliage notes from the region in which you live, so you can use this ingredient to give your cocktail a unique localized flavor!
Why you will love a Strawberry Basil Cocktail
The Strawberry Basil cocktail is one of very few drinks that are sweet and herbaceous at once. As such, it really tickles the ‘mind palate’ as your brain jumps from one flavor component to the next, trying to make sense of the variety of tastes and then settling into a joyous understanding of how it all fits together. What a ride!
Substitutions & Variations
You can very easily turn this recipe into a Strawberry Basil vodka cocktail by swapping out the gin for vodka, keeping the volume the same. This is a good substitution to make if you don’t particularly like the taste of gin or would like to stick to a more neutral spirit when hosting guests with varying drink preferences.
If you are feeling particularly inventive, you can also upgrade your cocktails using strawberry-flavored vodka by leaning into the fruity theme with even more gusto.
Of course, you can also substitute the strawberries with just about any other soft fruit that will muddle well. This includes melon, mango, lichi, and apricots. Similarly, you could also play around with the herbaceous notes in the cocktail, swapping out cilantro or Italian parsley for basil, for instance.
