I have a couple of posts this upcoming week that cover one of my favorite party themes — fiesta! — just in time to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. One thing is for sure, it’s not a fiesta until the margaritas are served. I’ve never met a margarita I haven’t liked, it’s one of my favorite drinks and I decided to mix up a batch with summery twist for this new recipe. This sparkling strawberry basil margarita starts with a homemade strawberry simple syrup for sweet berry flavors, and then gets combined with tart lime juice, tequila and muddled basil. To give it that sparkling touch (and in my opinion, a really refreshing feeling) I topped each glass off with a splash of Topo Chico with lime. If you can’t find Topo Chico another lime-flavored sparkling water will do; and feel free to scale this recipe up to make it in a pitcher for bigger batches — just wait to add the sparkling water until you’re ready to serve! Get the full recipe below:
- Strawberry Basil Simple Syrup (Water, Fresh Strawberries, and Sugar)
- Fresh Basil Leaves
- 2 ounces of Silver Tequila
- 1.5 ounces of freshly squeezed lime juice
- Topo Chico (or other sparkling lime water)
- Ice
- To make the strawberry simple syrup, combine 1.5 cups of water, 1 cup of chopped fresh strawberries and 3 tbsp. of sugar in a small saucepan. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the syrup has reduced by about half. Use a whisk or fork to mash the strawberries until broken down into smaller pieces and then remove from the heat and transfer to a container to cool in the fridge for at least one hour. The simple syrup should make 8-10 drinks.
- To make the drink, add 1 Tbsp. of strawberry simple syrup to the bottom of a glass (include some of the bits of strawberry) and muddle with 3-4 basil leaves. Add ice to the glass and pour over tequila and lime juice, stir to combine. Top each glass with Topo Chico or another sparkling lime water and serve with additional basil and lime for garnish.
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