After such a long winter, we are absolutely ransacking the farmers market for fresh produce to use in our cocktails. The sweet, local strawberries have arrived and while mint is the most traditional element in a Smash, we also love to use basil from the distillery garden (which is coming along nicely, more on that in another post…).
Smashes have been around since the mid 1800’s. There are countless variations of them these days, and it’s a great way to incorporate seasonal fruit into your cocktail hour. Here is how we are drinking ours this week; it’s the first one of the summer, but it certainly won’t be the last!
Strawberry Basil Smash
1 ½ oz Sol Chamomile Citrus
1 oz Basil Syrup (or use plain, and muddle in some fresh basil instead)
½ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Strawberries
Club Soda
Muddle strawberries and basil syrup; add remaining ingredients except for club soda and shake with ice. Strain over fresh ice into a Collins glass and top with club soda. Garnish with a strawberry or basil leaf.
If you want to be a bit more classic and make a drink closer to the original Smashes, then double-strain the drink into a chilled coupe glass and skip the soda (and you could even use mint in place of the basil) – it’s great either way.
Cheers!
