Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Gin Cocktails

Strawberry Basil Lemonade

By
Liquor.com
Liquor.com

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Updated 05/7/22
Strawberry Basil Lemonade in a rocks glass, with ice, a strawberry slice and a basil leaf
Image:

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

When the weather turns warm, there aren’t many drinks more refreshing than an ice-cold lemonade. The drink evokes childhood lemonade stands and summer nostalgia, but one of the best parts about being an adult is the ability to spike that lemonade with your spirit of choice.

The Strawberry Basil Lemonade takes this to heart, calling for a slug of gin in addition to strawberry, basil leaves, lemonade and club soda. The result is bright and bracing, with the botanical gin complementing the fruit, herbs and tart lemon.

Like many good drinks featuring fruit and herbs, the Strawberry Basil Lemonade begins with a muddler. Gently muddle the basil leaves and strawberry to extract the flavors, being careful not to pulverize the basil, as that yields a bitterness you don’t want in your glass. The muddled ingredients are then combined in the glass with shaken gin and lemonade, topped with club soda for a dash of effervescence, and garnished with basil leaves and a strawberry slice. It’s difficult to imagine a more hydrating and delicious way to pass the time on warm days.

The Strawberry Basil Lemonade tastes great with gin, but you can also make a similarly solid drink with vodka. Or, you can go the opposite route by skipping the liquor entirely and using this template to make a mocktail, giving you all the refreshment with none of the booze. If you’re serving a crowd, make some drinks with liquor and others without, and everyone—even non-drinkers and underage guests—will get to participate. You may need to adjust the ingredients slightly for the mocktails to account for the missing gin, but with fresh fruit, basil, lemonade and sparkling water, you’re off to a great start.

Ingredients

  • 3 basil leaves

  • 1 large strawberry

  • 1 ounce gin

  • 2 ounces lemonade, chilled

  • Club soda, chilled, to top

  • Garnish: basil leaf

  • Garnish: strawberry slice

Steps

  1. In a double rocks glass, muddle the basil leaves and strawberry.

  2. Fill with ice and set aside.

  3. Add the gin and lemonade into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.

  4. Strain into the prepared glass.

  5. Top with a splash of club soda.

  6. Garnish with a basil leaf and strawberry slice.