Cocktail Hour: Strawberry Basil Gin + Tonic

As soon as I saw this Strawberry Basil Gin + Tonic from A Cozy Kitchen, I knew I had to try it out for my next cocktail hour. It takes a bit of work, but it was totally worth it. And with strawberry season just rounding the corner, I expect a lot of these in my house in the near future (although I’m theoretically back on to a clean eating kick, so I might have to play around with substituting something for the sugar — thoughts?!).

Strawberry Basil Gin + Tonic (A Cozy Kitchen)

Ingredients

– 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
– Scant 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
– Pinch of sea salt
– 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
– 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
– Handful of fresh basil
– 4-6 ounces of your favorite gin

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, add the strawberries, along with the sugar, pinch of salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar. Allow the strawberries to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. In a blender, add the strawberries and all their juices. Pulse until the mixture resembles a puree. Give it a taste and adjust the sugar accordingly. Run the mixture through a sieve, discarding the seeds and pulp. You should end up with a scant 1/2 cup.

2. To assemble the cocktail, divide the basil leaves between glasses. Muddle the basil leaves, being sure to press the stems, with a muddler. Fill all the glasses with ice cubes. Pour in 1 to 2 ounces of gin, 2 to 3 tablespoons of strawberry mixture and top with tonic. Give the mixture a good stir and garnish with basil flowers and a few turns of freshly ground pepper.

 

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