strawberry basil mojito (and a giveaway!)
Of the three drinks my sister, brother-in-law, and I made when I visited them, this was the unanimous favorite. While we really enjoyed the peachy keen and the watermelon-cucumber refresher, this is the one that we just couldn’t stop talking about. It all started with the perfectly ripe strawberries from the farmer’s market (it’s always a good sign when you smell the strawberries at the market before you even see them!), which we hit with some fresh basil, and topped off with some rum. It is hands down my new favorite drink.
As I mentioned earlier, I was given a copy of DIY Cocktails to review and between one thing and another, well, it took me a little longer to get to this than I wanted.* Our house is well stocked with wine and some craft beers, but as for our liquor collection, let’s just say it has room for growth. As I flipped through the book initially, I kept thinking, well, that looks really good, but we don’t have any vermouth, or cognac, or brandy, etc. Another hurdle was that most of the recipes are given by ratios. I wanted to make mint juleps for the Kentucky Derby (told you I’ve been sitting on this book for a little while) and checked the recipe in DIY Cocktails, saw all the ratios, and then turned to my other cocktail book, 365 Cocktails: Mixers, Shakers, Shots: The Complete Bartender’s Guide instead. My math skills have gotten rusty since my last math class (11 years ago!) and mixing drinks wasn’t something I did a whole lot, and I just wanted someone to tell me how much of everything to use. I just wanted a drink, not to have to think! I had my doubts that this book was for me.
Four drinks into DIY Cocktails (there was also the pina colada), I am now totally hooked. If you just want to know how to make a Manhattan and a Mai Thai, this book isn’t for you – you’re better off with a plain ol’ cocktail recipe book. If you want to make some really interesting and innovative cocktails on the other hand, I think you’ll really get a lot out of this book. The authors go into a lot of detail to explain the main components of several different kinds of drinks and help you understand why those ratios work and how to tweak them to suit your own personal taste. And if you want to learn about making your own infused spirits, flavored liqueur substitutes (such as in the peachy keen), flavored syrups, bitters, or even your own maraschino cherries, then this book is definitely going to make you happy.
Starting to want a copy of DIY Cocktails of your own so you you can try such tantalizing drinks as mango cilantro cooler, apple vanilla bourbon, blood-orange tequila & soda, and green mar-tea-ni? Well, you’re in luck! We’re doing our first ever giveaway on Pixelated Crumb!
Giveaway Details
One lucky reader will win a free copy of DIY Cocktails! This giveaway is open to USA residents and will be open until Friday, July 8th at 11:59 pm EST.
The winner will be selected on random.org on July 9th. The winner will be announced on Pixelated Crumb and I will send her/him an e-mail. Make sure your e-mail is correct, because you only have 48 hours to respond to claim your prize before another winner is chosen!
To enter the DIY Cocktails Giveaway
- Write a comment below telling me about your favorite drink.
For Additional Entries
For more chances to win, complete one or more of the following steps and write a comment below for each extra entry (e.g. “I follow @pixelatedcrumb on Twitter!”). You get an extra chance to win with each entry!
- Follow @pixelatedcrumb on Twitter
- Tweet about the giveaway (be sure to include @pixelatedcrumb)
- “Like” Pixelated Crumb on Facebook
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Strawberry Basil Mojito
From DIY Cocktails
The recipe calls for white rum, but we used dark rum because that’s what we had. It makes the drink darker and maybe not as pretty, but it’s still mighty tasty.
Ingredients
- 3 basil leaves, torn
- 3 strawberries, sliced
- 1 1/2 ounces white rum
- 1 ounce simple syrup
- 1/2 ounce lime
- 4 ounces club soda
Instructions
- Muddle the basil, strawberries, and simple syrup at the bottom of a highball or Collins glass. Add rum and lime juice, then fill with ice. Top off with club soda.
Number of servings (yield): 1
* I was given a free copy of DIY Cocktails but was in no way obligated to write a positive review. The thoughts and opinions stated above are my own. I actually liked the book enough to get my sister a copy for her birthday :).
July 1st, 2011 at 8:49 am
I am loving all these beautiful cocktails. Perfect to share before a holiday weekend. My favorite drink right now is a patron margarita!
July 2nd, 2011 at 11:16 pm
Mmm, I do love a good margarita!
July 1st, 2011 at 8:52 am
I follow @pixelatedcrumb on Twitter!
July 1st, 2011 at 9:11 am
I love pretty much any fruity drink, and LOVE old fashions, but I mist say that a whiskey ginger (and no, not because of my hair) will always be my favorite drink.
July 2nd, 2011 at 11:18 pm
Oooo, I’ve never had a whiskey ginger! I need to try one of those!
July 1st, 2011 at 9:12 am
I subscribed to Pixelated Crumb via email!
July 1st, 2011 at 9:13 am
AND i “liked” Pixelated Crumb on Facebook!
July 1st, 2011 at 9:28 am
I prefer to drink IPA but my favorite cocktail would have to be either a Cosmo or a Washington Apple.
July 2nd, 2011 at 11:21 pm
You know, there are so many great drinks out there, and I love trying them, but I have such a soft spot in my heart for cosmos!
July 1st, 2011 at 9:29 am
I subscribe via email!
July 1st, 2011 at 10:09 am
THIS is my favorite drink! We made it last night, but with Haitian dark rum, not white rum. I can’t compare because I’ve never had the latter, but it is fantastic with dark rum.
July 1st, 2011 at 4:05 pm
I prefer whiskey on the rocks, cause I’m a manly man. But, if I am going the cocktail route, i dig old fashions and tom collins.
July 2nd, 2011 at 11:22 pm
Very manly drinks 🙂
July 1st, 2011 at 4:07 pm
i liked pixelated crumb on facebook!
July 1st, 2011 at 7:15 pm
This looks great- I have been looking to try basil in a drink (I had been planning to make a basil simple syrup for iced tea, but this sounds more exciting). In the summer my favorite cocktail is either a dark and stormy, or sweet tea vodka with lemonade.
July 2nd, 2011 at 11:26 pm
I’ve got to say, I love basil in my drink! I’m also excited to try the mango cilantro cooler. It’s an herb I’ve never thought to put in my drink!
July 2nd, 2011 at 10:28 pm
My favourite cocktail is an Old Fashioned because when I saw it on Mad Men, I decided to order one at a tucked-away bar in New Orleans. It was deeeelicious!
July 2nd, 2011 at 11:11 pm
I’ve still never had an Old Fashioned! It’s on the top of my list of things to try.
July 2nd, 2011 at 10:32 pm
I subscribed via email!
July 3rd, 2011 at 9:59 am
Strawberry and basil make a beautiful couple, especially in mojito form.
July 5th, 2011 at 3:35 pm
Just that twist of savory in the sweet is so perfect!!
July 5th, 2011 at 4:44 pm
I’m a straight up Gin and Tonic girl myself, but this looks delicious! I’ll have to try it this summer for sure.
July 5th, 2011 at 6:59 pm
Just bought a big basil plant, so this was clearly meant to be! I can’t wait to try it. This summer I’ve been drinking the “Vermontucky Lemonade” that showed up on Smitten Kitchen – maple syrup and bourbon and lemon juice. Very tasty.
July 5th, 2011 at 7:12 pm
Oh yes, I’ve been wanting to try the Vermontucky!
July 5th, 2011 at 7:07 pm
Mango cilantro sounds delicious. I can’t think of much that cilantro doesn’t go with. It’s one of my all time favorite flavors. I’ll have to try that drink!
July 5th, 2011 at 7:15 pm
I’m a huge cilantro fan myself, although I’ve certainly never thought to put it in my drink. I’m really curious about that one and eager to try it!
July 5th, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Mmmm, they all look so good! I would love to win the book, we would have so much fun trying them all out!
July 5th, 2011 at 9:55 pm
I’m going to make this my favorite drink, too.
July 6th, 2011 at 8:49 am
I liked Pixelated Crumb on Facebook!!
July 6th, 2011 at 8:50 am
I also really would like to try that Piña Colada drink you posted earlier. This book looks good! Love your blog and you and your husband take amazing food photos!
July 6th, 2011 at 10:24 am
I tend to gin and tonics in the summer, but I would like to try some more of these luscious sounding drinks!
July 6th, 2011 at 10:25 am
I love the Strawberry Basil Mojito recipe but I need a reminder on how to make “simple syrup”–from a drink-mixing neophyte! (Just ask Jess about the terrible drink I fixed her once at our house).
July 6th, 2011 at 8:22 pm
I’m so glad you mentioned that, because I meant to put it in the post! Simple syrup is in fact very simple to make. Just heat one part sugar and one part water in a pan on the stove until the sugar dissolves.Then let the syrup cool before adding to whatever drink you’re making. I’ve read that you can also make it by just shaking the sugar and water together in a sealed container, but I’ve never tried it that way. The advantage of that is that you don’t have to wait for it to cool, but I always worry that the sugar won’t dissolve enough.
July 7th, 2011 at 9:38 pm
After your great descriptions of these drinks, I can’t wait to get to our Farmers Market! Can’t wait to get mixing!!!
July 9th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
Looks great! Other combinations I like: grapefruit + rosemary or peach + sage. It took me a bit to get on board with the ratios instead of exact measurements when I first started to study mixing. (Math isn’t my strong suit either) For a standard-size drink, it’s pretty safe to think 1 part = 1/2 ounce. It doesn’t get too challenging until you’ve had a few.
As for simple syrup, shaking 1/2 water and 1/2 sugar works great … but it works best with superfine sugar (aka baker’s sugar or bartending sugar). Remember to add a little vodka to it to make it last longer in the fridge.
Thanks again for the kind words about my book. Cheers!
Marcia
July 10th, 2011 at 11:09 am
Thanks so much for stopping by, Marcia! Wow, I never would have thought to try either grapefruit + rosemary or peach + sage. What interesting combos! Time to try out some more drinks!
Thanks also for the advice on making simple syrup without heating it up. It’s nice because you don’t have to turn on the stove on a hot day, and even more importantly, you can get straight to making drinks without waiting for the syrup to cool!
Thanks again for stopping by!
September 5th, 2011 at 10:38 am
I made the strawberry-basil mojito ages ago and loved it, but then yesterday when I saw peaches in the farmer’s market and… brainwave! Peach-basil mojitos!! The peach has a little less structural integrity than the strawberry, so it mushes into the drink just a tiny bit more, which is lovely. I think next time I make it, I’ll cut down on the lime juice a little though – it’s too much with the peach. But it makes me want to experiment with blackberries (my husband’s favorite!) or pineapple, which I bet would be great. Thank you so much for posting this! Love your blog!!
September 5th, 2011 at 11:43 am
What a fantastic idea! That sounds amazing and with peaches as amazing as they are right now, this is definitely the time to try it! I also really like the idea of mojitos with blackberries. I’ve also been thinking of making a gin and tonic with blackberries (and am now really craving one!).
June 5th, 2012 at 12:12 pm
These mojitos were absolutely AMAZING. Made them for girlfriends on a hot Sunday afternoon – they were perfect. Thanks for sharing!
June 20th, 2012 at 9:20 pm
I made this tonight exactly as the recipe has it, but without the rum. Still really tasty!!