Strawberry Afternoon

Strawberry, Basil, & Balsamic Vinegar

Along my flavor exploration, I learned that strawberries have a similar profile to tomatoes. Believe it or not, a lot of pairings that go well with tomatoes will in turn pair nicely with strawberries. Like this drink for example...Tomatoes, basil and balsamic is the start to a delicious Caprese Salad!

You might think this is an odd pairing for a drink, but the inspiration came from a somewhat popular cocktail at one of the first craft cocktail bars that I ever worked at. The drink was thick, almost smoothie like and required a lot of prep in the kitchen. I think the texture threw a few people off, but the flavors were really intriguing to me. So, as time went by, the menu changed and that cocktail went into the graveyard. Since then, this cocktail has always lingered in my memory and I've continued to make adjustments to create something light and delicious! Of course, this version is alcohol free!

As always, I believe that delicious drinks shouldn't be as complex as cooking a meal. I wanted to create something that was interesting and included ingredients that are easy to find, if not already in your kitchen.

Plus, according to Healthline.com, strawberries have great nutritional value providing high levels of vitamin C, manganese, folate, and potassium.

Please enjoy and share with others!

---

Tools:

Lemon Juicer

Muddler

Hawthorne Strainer

Jigger for Measuring Ounces

Boston Tin

Barspoon or Teaspoon (5ml)

Coupe or Rocks Glass

Ingredients:

3 Medium Sized Strawberries

5 ml Balsamic Vinegar

1 oz Simple Syrup

1 oz Lemon Juice

2 oz Filtered Water

1 Basil Leaf

Process:

Build into a cocktail shaker.

Add the first four ingredients into a cocktail shaker and muddle together.

Add water and basil leaf.

Add ice to the shaker and seal together.

Shake and strain into a coupe glass, or in a rocks glass with ice. Whatever is on hand.

Garnish with a small basil leaf.

Enjoy by yourself or with others.