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This strawberry gin smash with fresh basil, elderflower liqueur, lime juice, and club soda is a refreshing, delicious cocktail for summer! They’re fruity, a little tart, bubbly, and easily served as a single cocktail or in a pitcher. It’s a fizzy, simple cocktail for sipping with friends at BBQs & dinner parties!

A tall clear glass filled with a strawberry gin smash cocktail and garnished with a half strawberry, white flower and basil on a white table. In the background is another cocktail, a bottle of gin, a grey bowl of strawberries, a lime, and white blossoms.

When Marc and I got married, we decided to do a little “mini-moon” until we could find the time and energy to plan a whole honeymoon trip. After a lovely brunch at PublicUs, we walked over to Mothership Coffee for cappuccinos, and then decided we needed a cocktail for good measure. Conveniently across the street just so happens to be Atomic Liquors, the oldest standing bar in Las Vegas.

Atomic Liquors is the absolute perfect dive bar, dark and moody on the inside with all kinds of Vegas charm. It was named after their customers’ habit of watching the nuclear blasts from the nearby Atomic Test Site, and even Barbara Streisand had her own seat back in the day.

But, many of us younger locals who began visiting in our college years know the bar for its Strawberry Fields cocktail. The Strawberry Fields has gin, Campari, ginger, basil shrub, and strawberries, and it is the cocktail of my dreams.

If you love strawberry cocktails, you might like my spiked strawberry lemonade, strawberry frozen Aperol spritz, or strawberry lemon rosé sangria. Let me know what you think!

A refreshing summer cocktail

Although I had big plans of trying to recreate Strawberry Fields so that I don’t have to drive down to Vegas every time I want one, I also wanted to whip up a cocktail that would be easy to make. So I replaced the ginger with elderflower and left out the Campari cause I didn’t have any. Then, I added fresh basil and a hint of lime juice to replace the “shrub” aspect of the cocktail. After many recipe tests and making this cocktail for lots of dinner parties, this combo is by far my fave!

  • This drink basically tastes like summer in a glass.
  • It’s easy & comes together in just a few minutes – no bartending experience needed!
  • You can make it in a pitcher so it’s amazing for BBQs, dinner parties, girls’ nights, & more.

You’ll need just a few ingredients

A glass of red juice, bowl of berries, alcohol bottles, a wood muddler, limes, and highball glasses on a white speckled counter.
  • Strawberries – fresh or frozen will work for this recipe.
  • Basil – definitely make sure to get it fresh, not dried!
  • Lime juice – again, highly recommend freshly-squeezed. Are you tired of seeing the word ‘fresh’ yet?
  • Simple syrup – equal parts water and sugar boiled down to a syrup! I like to make my own, but you can also buy it at liquor stores.
  • Gin – go for a nice floral gin with citrusy notes when possible.
  • Elderflower liqueur – a lovely elderflower liqueur will complement the floral notes in the gin.
  • Club soda – for a little sparkly-ness!

Make this cocktail (muddled or puréed)

When it comes to making this drink, you have a couple of options! First, the muddled option which is easy AF. Then, you have the puréed drink which, ok technically isn’t a “smash”, but it’s a little smoother and easier to drink. Let’s chat about both!

Two images; on the left, a woman's hand is stirring red liquid in a highball glass on a white counter next to a bowl of berries, limes, a bottle of gin, and mint. On the right, the woman is pouring club soda into the cocktail.

Muddled cocktail

  1. First, add some sliced strawberries to a glass. Then, use a muddler (or the handle of a large wooden spoon) to smash them until they’re juicy and as smooth as possible. Add the basil and muddle a bit more to release the flavor of the herbs.
  2. Next, add the lime juice, simple syrup, gin, and elderflower liqueur. Stir.
  3. Lastly, fill the glass with ice and top with soda water to give it the layered look. Garnish, and give it a good stir before enjoying!

Puréed cocktail

For this version, you’ll need a blender or food processor.

  1. To start, add the strawberries and basil to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Pour an ounce of the purée into a highball glass.
  2. Then, add the lime juice, simple syrup, gin, and elderflower liqueur. Give it a good stir.
  3. Lastly, fill with ice, top with soda water, and garnish. Don’t forget to stir it well before sipping!

Pitcher cocktail

If you want to make these cocktails for a crowd, it’s pretty straightforward. Simply multiply the ingredients by the number of cocktails you want and mix it together in a pitcher! Here’s the measurements for 8 drinks:

  • 8 ounces strawberry basil purée
  • 4 ounces lime juice
  • 4 ounces simple syrup
  • 12 ounces gin
  • 4 ounces elderflower liqueur
  • Club soda, for serving

I think mixing up a puréed cocktail is a little easier to pour, but the muddled version works too. Again, don’t forget to give the whole thing a good stir before it pouring over ice.

Two images; on the left, a woman in a grey, white, and pink striped dress is holding a red cocktail. On the right, a side image of a strawberry gin cocktail on a white table next to another cocktail, white blossoms, a wood muddler, and strawberries.

A make-ahead option

This smash is a great make-ahead cocktail option! First, simply stir everything together in a pitcher except for the club soda. Next, cover it up and let it sit in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Then, right before serving, pour the club soda over the strawberry-basil-booze mixture. I actually really enjoy making this cocktail in advance because it gives all of the flavors a chance to meld together!

Substitutions & variations

If you want to switch things up a bit, there are plenty of ways to make this cocktail your own! Here are a few ideas:

  • Berries – you can use raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries, in place of the strawberries.
  • Booze – vodka and bourbon both make great alternatives if you’re not a fan of gin!
  • Bubbly – if you’re wanting a sweeter cocktail, replace the club soda with champagne, sparkling wine, lemon-lime soda, ginger ale, or sparkling lemonade.
A side image of a strawberry gin smash garnished with a strawberry, basil, and white flower on a white table next to a grey bowl of strawberries, bar glasses, bottle of gin, and halved limes with a grey and white background.

Parting tips

  • Use lots of ice in this drink and don’t add too much club soda or it will dilute the flavor. I usually only end up using a splash of soda water at the end for fizz.
  • If you choose to muddle the basil, don’t go too crazy. Since it’s a delicate herb, you don’t need to muddle it too much to release the flavor.
  • Try adding a wedge of the juiced lime when you smash the berries to release some of the oils in the rind! It’ll add a lovely citrusy flavor.

If you make this recipe, I would love it if you left a star rating and review! I read every single comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!

A side image of two strawberry cocktails on a white counter next to a bowl of berries, lime wedges, white blossoms, and a wooden muddler.
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Strawberry Gin Smash with Basil & Elderflower

Yield: 4 cocktails
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
This strawberry gin smash has fresh basil, elderflower liqueur, and lime juice for a refreshing, delicious summer cocktail. Make it in a pitcher or as a single drink!
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Ingredients

Strawberry Basil Purée

  • 1 c strawberries, sliced
  • 8 basil leaves

Strawberry Gin Smash

  • 4 oz strawberry basil purée
  • 2 oz lime juice
  • 2 oz simple syrup
  • 6 oz gin
  • 2 oz elderflower liqueur
  • Club soda, to top
  • Strawberries, basil, etc., to garnish

Instructions 

Strawberry Basil Purée

  • In a blender or food processor, purée the strawberries and basil together until smooth. You should end up with about 4 ounces total.

Strawberry Gin Smash (Puréed Version)

  • In four highball glasses, add 1 oz. strawberry basil purée, 1/2 oz. lime juice, 1/2 oz. simple syrup, 1 1/2 oz. gin, and 1/2 oz. elderflower liqueur to each glass. Stir until combined.
  • Fill the glasses with ice. Top with soda water. Garnish with strawberries, basil, etc. Stir the strawberry gin smashes right before drinking. Enjoy!

Strawberry Gin Smash (Muddled Version)

  • Place 1/4 cup of sliced strawberries into each highball glass. Muddle until the strawberries are juicy and smooth. Add 2 basil leaves to each highball glass and muddle just a bit to release the flavor of the herb.
  • To each glass, add 1/2 oz. lime juice, 1/2 oz. simple syrup, 1 1/2 oz. gin, and 1/2 oz. elderflower liqueur. Stir.
  • Fill the glass with ice and top with club soda. Garnish, if desired. Give it a stir right before enjoying.

Notes

If you don’t have a muddler, use the handle of a wooden spoon.
To make the drink sweeter, add a little extra simple syrup or use lemon-lime soda, ginger ale, or champagne in place of the club soda.
I top my cocktails with 1-2 ounces of club soda, but you can add more if desired.
Please note that the strawberry basil purée will make enough for 4 cocktails. If you want to make 8 cocktails (for a pitcher), simply double the purée and add 1/2 c. fresh lime juice, 1/2 c. simple syrup, 1 1/2 c. gin, and 1/2 c. elderflower liqueur. Top with soda water, to taste.
Cuisine: American
Course: Drinks
Author: Sara Lynn Hunt Broka
Serving: 1cocktail, Calories: 207kcal, Carbohydrates: 15.9g, Protein: 0.4g, Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 24mg, Potassium: 89mg, Fiber: 0.8g, Sugar: 2g, Calcium: 19mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @sundaytable.co on Instagram!

xo Sara Lynn

Song of the day – Muddled by Alexei Shishkin

Originally posted in July 2, 2021.