Strawberry Basil Mojito

(Please drink responsibly.)

I love strawberries. Love them. I’m sort of sad that I’m staring at this mojito, and I can’t make them with fresh, local strawberries anymore. Our strawberry season is very early in the year, since it heats up early in the spring, and right now, it’s pretty much a sauna outside. Louisiana heat is no joke, and when things heat up around here, our basil plants pretty much grow like weeds. Of course, I’ll make tons of pesto to freeze this summer, but I’ve been looking for other ways to use it, and this recipe is just wonderful!

You might be a bit skeptical of a strawberry and basil combination, but it totally works. When I saw this on Pink Parsley a couple of years ago, I bookmarked it (and of course, forgot all about it). This drink would be perfect for a summer party, since you could make a ton of the strawberry syrup in advance and just quickly throw together a pitcher of this (you’d have to multiply this recipe a good bit to make a pitcher, but it’s very simple to do) before your guests arrive. It’s also such a pretty drink! I love the colors in it, and wouldn’t it be super fun with both purple and green basil leaves?

Strawberry Basil Mojito
Source: Pink Parsley

Ingredients:

For the strawberry syrup:

• 1 heaping cup chopped strawberries
• 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• pinch salt
• 2 tbsp. cold water

For the mojito:

• 2-3 fresh basil leaves
• 5 tbsp. strawberry syrup
• ice
• 1 1/2 oz. light rum
• sparkling water
• Optional: strawberry slices and basil leaves for garnish

Directions:

1. To make the strawberry syrup, place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend the mixture until smooth. (You can strain the seeds out if you’d prefer, but I didn’t do that.) Refrigerate the mixture until you’re ready to make the drinks!
2. To make the mojito, place the basil leaves in your glass and use a muddler or the back of the spoon to bruise the basil in the bottom of the glass. Add in the strawberry syrup, ice, light rum, and stir. Top off the drink with some sparkling water. Garnish the drink with basil leaves or strawberry slices, and enjoy!