Ingredients
- Lime wedge
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt
- 6 fresh strawberries, hulled plus 1 whole strawberry for garnish
- 5 fresh basil leaves
- 1 ounce orange liqueur
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 ounces tequila
- Ice
- Orange wedge for garnish
Instructions
- Run a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass.
- Spread the salt in a thin layer on a saucer and dip the rim in the salt. Set aside.
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle the strawberries and basil leaves with a splash of the orange liqueur.
- Add the remaining orange liqueur, lime juice, and tequila.
- Add ice and shake to chill.
- Fill the prepared rocks glass with fresh ice and strain the drink into it.
- Garnish with the whole strawberry, lime wedge, and orange wedge.
Substitutions and Variations
The fresh berry and herb flavor of this margarita makes for a pleasant drink. Want to vary it? Try these suggestions:
- Use an equal amount of strawberries and blackberries for a deeper berry flavor.
- You can use more or less basil depending on how much of that flavor you'd like.
- Replace the tequila with rum for a strawberry basil daiquiri.
- You can also use the more neutrally flavored vodka in place of the tequila.
- Muddle a few peach slices with the strawberries and basil.
Garnish
You can use the classic garnish of a salt rim, strawberry, and basil or pare it down to one or two of these. You can also try different garnishes:
- Garnish with a lime wheel.
- Garnish with a fresh or dried edible flower.
- Use a lime wedge or twist for a pop of color.
About the Strawberry Basil Margarita
Strawberries and basil are fresh and ready to harvest at about the same time in late spring or early summer. And, as they often grow together, the two flavors go well together (many chefs will tell you, "If it grows together, it goes together"). The minty, peppery bite of the basil is the perfect foil for the delectable sweetness of strawberries, creating a drink of unparalleled freshness and summertime goodness.
Strawberries, Basil, and Summer Sunshine
Is there any drink that brings summer to mind more than a strawberry basil margarita? Maybe...or maybe not. But picture it now. You're sitting in the sunshine sipping a fragrant and sweet strawberry basil margarita. Can you imagine any moment more perfect?
