Strawberry Basil Margarita Recipe
In the however-many-years I’ve been writing this blog, I’ve only ever posted one drink recipe! That is certainly not reflective of the amount that I enjoy a good cocktail. But the reality is, at home I’m typically drinking straight whiskey or straight tequila (with a splash of lime). Or maybe wine.
Which really, I started doing because of my digestive problems; alcohol — while not a FODMAP — can be irritating to the gut, and adding in a bunch of sugary syrups and God only knows what else only increases the chance that I’ll feel super gross the next day. But I don’t think anybody needs me to take pictures and tell them how to pour whiskey into a glass and drink it. Thus, the lack of drink recipes in these parts.
But, last weekend I was bored but feeling creative, and then I remembered that Emma over at She Can’t Eat What? had posted something strawberry-basil related recently. And I just so happened to have both strawberries and basil in the refrigerator. And I thought to myself, you know what sounds really good? A strawberry basil margarita, that’s what.
In typical Maria fashion, you can see that my serving size is still in a tiny glass. If you know me at all, you know that I have a love for tiny kitchen-related things (we may have a whole shelf devoted to small glasses in our cabinet…), and that love extends to drinks too. Smaller drinks means I can have more of them! Yes, I play psychological games with myself.
You can totally serve yourself in a normal sized glass and even add some sparkling water into the mix. Or you can join the tiny drink party! (Maybe I can make this a trend, like tiny houses? Who needs a tiny house when you can have a TINY DRINK?! … no? well, maybe I’ll work on it.)
The strawberry basil syrup does take a small amount of preparation, but it’s still super low maintenance. You just throw some strawberries and water in a pot, simmer for 10ish minutes, take it off the heat and throw some basil in, let it sit there, strain and enjoy! I can confirm that if you are not patient enough to wait for it to cool off completely, a few ice cubes in your drink will do the trick perfectly. 😉
Strawberry Basil Margaritas
Notes
Ingredients
Strawberry Basil syrup
- 1 16-oz box strawberries washed and hulled
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 tablespoon white sugar plus more to taste
- Juice from ¼ lime or to taste
- 2 small sprigs basil
Margaritas (2 servings)
- 2 oz Tequila
- 4 oz strawberry basil syrup or to taste
- Sparkling water optional
- Basil to garnish
Directions
For the syrup
- Combine water, strawberries, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Stir frequently to dissolve sugar and break up strawberries. Eventually they will soften and you can break them up further with a spoon to get the juices out.
- Simmer for 8-10 minutes. You can taste the syrup and add more sugar at this point if you desire. Remove from heat.
- Tear basil into pieces and stir into the syrup, making sure it is entirely covered by the water. Let sit, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
- Strain syrup into a glass or other airtight container add the lemon juice. Allow to cool completely before storing in the refrigerator.
For the margaritas
- Combine tequila, syrup, and sparkling water if desired in a glass. Add ice and stir. Garnish with basil and enjoy!
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