Strawberry Basil Mule
With spring ramping up and the weather getting warmer, it’s time to start thinking about spring and summer cocktails. These are the drinks that are full of fruit and bubbles. The drinks that are brightly colored and cool to the touch. The drinks that can (and should) be enjoyed on the beach or lounging by a pool. While there’s still plenty of time to enjoy a whiskey or tequila cocktail, I prefer imbibing gin and vodka tonics or Mules of every size and flavor.
There used to be a gastropub in town that would release their Mule menu every spring, and I couldn’t wait to see what new twists on the classic they’d have. There was always at least one fruity one and one herbal one. I always loved the herbal version because it was so different! Who knew cucumbers and ginger went so well together? Unfortunately that bar doesn’t exist anymore. But I can still take their annual mule menus and use them as inspiration. The fact that we’ve hit strawberry season here in California, means I finally get a chance to create my own twist.
As a Grambassador for Infuse Sprits (that’s a brand ambassador on Instagram), I receive multiple bottles of the delicious, local vodka. While most of the bottles I receive are their flavored vodkas, I also have a bottle of their Origin. It’s like a blank canvas with which to create my own flavorful infusions. I’ve already made a pomegranate/orange vodka that was perfect for fall. So, this time I wanted to try some spring flavors.
I grabbed a handful of fresh strawberries and some basil. It may seem like an odd combo, but the spicy, herbalness of the basil goes quite nicely with the sweet strawberries. I sliced up everything and dropped it in a jar. Then I poured in the vodka, capped it and tucked it away in a cool corner of my kitchen. After a few days of steeping, I sampled my concoction. What I ended up with was a sweet, berrilicious vodka that has a strong strawberry on the nose and a subtle hint of basil at the end. While I could easily sip this all by itself over ice, it was begging to be turned into a cocktail. Remembering those delicious mules from that restaurant of yore, a Mule seemed like the obvious choice.
Just as the ginger beer melded with the cucumber of that Garden Mule, it also marries quite well with both the strawberry and basil. Add a little squeeze of lime and you have a sweet tipple that will definitely get you through these warmer months. While these drinks will be amazing in your backyard, pour them into a few small mason jars and take them to a picnic on the beach. They may be just what the doctor ordered after a year of being locked inside.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Strawberry Basil vodka*
- juice of 1 lime
- 4 ounces ginger beer
Instructions
- Pour vodka and lime juice into a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously until chilled.
- Strain into a small mason jar or copper mug filled with ice. Top with ginger beer, garnish with a strawberry and sprig of basil and serve.
To make the Strawberry Basil Vodka
- Take 5 fresh strawberries and a sprig or two of fresh basil and chop them all up.
- Place everything in a large jar. Add 2 cups of Origin Infuse Vodka. Cover and let sit for 2-3 days in a cool place, giving it an occasional shake.
