Strawberry Basil Cocktail

This Strawberry Basil Cocktail Recipe is the perfect refreshing sip to cool off with on a hot summer day. Bursting with the flavors of juicy strawberries and fragrant basil, this summery cocktail is sure to become one of your favorite beverages this strawberry season!

THIS is the cocktail of the summer! With its bright colors and tasty flavors, our strawberry basil vodka cocktail is a great way to bring summer joy to your next get-together!

It's made with both homemade strawberry simple syrup and muddled strawberries for lots of vibrant strawberry flavor. We muddle fresh basil alongside the berries to release their oils. It tastes and smells incredible!

This strawberry latte is also made with our homemade strawberry simple syrup if you'd like to try it in another application.

Looking for more summery cocktails? Try our peach bourbon smash, this creamy blended cherry limeade, this watermelon vodka cocktail, and this blueberry gin cocktail!

❤️Why We Love This Recipe

• Made with simple ingredients. With ingredients like fresh strawberries, lemon juice, and basil leaves, you can find what you need anywhere.
• Vibrant flavors. The combination of sweet strawberries and earthy basil is refreshing, sweet, and herbaceous!
• Great for any occasion. Whether you're sipping it at backyard barbecues or enjoying a happy hour at home with friends, this cocktail is the perfect drink for warm-weather gatherings.
• Customizable. Substitute vodka with your favorite spirit for a twist on the classic recipe, or even make it a mocktail by omitting the vodka!

🍓Ingredients

Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.

• Strawberry simple syrup. This is how we sweeten the drink and infuse it with extra strawberry flavor. It can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and stored in the fridge. If making it on the day of, just make sure it has time to cool off before adding it to your drinks.
• Club soda. Any sparkling water, soda water, or club soda will do.
• Lemon juice. Use FRESH lemon juice for this!

Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.

✨Substitutions & Variations

Here are a few suggestions on additional flavors to try, or simple variations to this recipe.

• Mocktail. For a non-alcoholic version of this drink, simply omit the alcohol in this recipe, and add a bit more club soda. You can also use your favorite vodka substitute.
• Swap the spirit. Tequila, white rum, bourbon, and gin would all taste wonderful in this drink if you prefer them over vodka.
• Swap the soda water. Love a hint of ginger? Add ginger ale or ginger beer instead of soda water. You can also swap in sparkling wine instead!
• Different citrus. Swap lemon for lime juice if you prefer.
• Sugar-free. Simply follow the instructions on our strawberry simple syrup post to make sugar sugar-free.
• More fruits. Want to make this a mixed berry cocktail? Try adding in some raspberry simple syrup and/or blueberry simple syrup along with fresh blueberries and raspberries to make a mixed-berry drink!

This recipe hasn't been tested with any other substitutions or variations, so we can't guarantee any results. If you make a change, let us know how it goes in the comments below!

🔪Prep Work

• Cut the tops off the fresh strawberries and cut them in half or quarter them.
• Wash and dry the basil and tear it into smaller pieces.
• Squeeze lemons to have fresh juice ready to make this cocktail
• Measure out the rest of the ingredients.

Make the strawberry simple syrup

Start by preparing the strawberry simple syrup. This can be done well in advance and kept in the fridge! (Image 1)

⭑Pro tip: Make sure to allow the simple syrup enough time to cool. If it's warm when it goes in the shaker, it will just melt the ice and water down your drink.

Make the cocktail

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the strawberries and basil leaves together to release their flavor and juices. You can use a muddler or the back of a spoon to gently crush the ingredients. (Image 2)

⭑Pro tip: Muddle gently. You don't want to bruise the basil too much, just mix it enough to release the oils.

Add the strawberry simple syrup (Image 3), fresh lemon juice (Image 4), and vodka (Image 5) to the shaker.

⭑Pro tip: We always recommend adding the more affordable ingredients before the spirits when making cocktails. That way, if you make a mistake before adding the vodka, you won't waste any expensive liquor if you have to dump it out and start again!

Fill the cocktail shaker with ice cubes, then securely fasten the lid. Shake the mixture vigorously for about 15–20 seconds to chill the ingredients.

Double-strain the mixture from the shaker into a glass filled with ice. (Image 6)

Top off the cocktail with club soda. (Image 7)

Stir gently before sipping to incorporate the flavors. Garnish the drink with strawberries and basil. Enjoy!

✨Top Tips

• Use fresh ingredients. Ripe strawberries, fresh lemon juice, and fresh basil will ensure the best flavor.
• Use fresh ice. Ice that has been sitting in the back of the freezer for ages may have soaked up the scent of some things around it. We recommend using fresh ice for the best-tasting drink!
• Muddle gently. Be gentle when muddling the strawberries and basil. The goal is to release the flavors without pulverizing the ingredients into a mush. Muddle just enough to extract the oils from the basil.
• Cool the strawberry simple syrup. Make the strawberry simple syrup in advance to allow it time to cool, or else it will melt the ice!
• Double-strain the cocktail to remove any strawberry and basil solids. This ensures a smooth and visually appealing drink without unwanted bits floating in the glass. If you don’t mind a little texture, you can leave it in if you’d like.
• Adjust to taste. Before serving, taste the cocktail and adjust the sweetness or tartness if needed. You can add a bit more simple syrup or lemon juice based on your preferences.