Strawberry Basil Cosmopolitan

Way back in September 2012, I had my first ever strawberry basil cocktail and since then I've been hooked. I say cocktail...it was actually a small glass of strawberry basil vodka that I had in an ice bar in Paris. It was truly amazing - like it should have been. A venue as awesome as an ice bar should serve equally awesome drinks, right?

As soon as I got home, I whipped up a fantastic Strawberry Basil Fizz Cocktail. Although it's delicious, it doesn't quite measure up to the one I had in Paris. Maybe it was because the temperature in the bar was minus one million and I just wanted something to warm me up or maybe it's because I'd paid a small fortune to get into that bar and was determined to get the most out of my experience, but I've never been able to make anything nearly as good as that one remarkable drink.

But that hasn't stopped me from trying. Oh no. This Strawberry Basil Cosmopolitan in the latest in my strawberry basil experiments and it's definitely a winner.

Cosmos are one of my ultimate favourite cocktails, but whenever I make them, I always do sort of a watered-down version. The regular cosmo recipe vodka to triple sec ratio is way too strong for me, so I usually tone things down a bit by adding some Sprite. Not only does it make the drink much more drinkable by lowering the alcohol, but it also adds a wonderful sweet touch which I just love.

The only thing I don't love is the colour. By mixing the verdant green of the basil leaves with the vibrant red of the strawberries and the murky pink of the cranberry juice, you get a dark, almost mysterious coloured drink that looks like it would be more suited to a Halloween party than a summer BBQ. But who cares, right?

📖 Recipe

Strawberry Basil Cosmopolitan

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Ingredients

• 4 frozen strawberries
• 6 leaves fresh basil
• 4 oz Sprite
• 3 oz cranberry juice
• 1 oz lime juice
• 3 oz vodka
• 1 oz triple sec

Instructions

• Place all the ingredients in the blender and process on high speed until everything is fully combined and the strawberries and basil leaves have been well and truly destroyed.
• Pour into two glasses and serve.