Strawberry-Basil Limoncello Martini

Your perfect summer martini is here, and it couldn’t be more delicious! Sweet strawberries, fragrant basil and bright limoncello come together to make this season’s best martini. Grab a cozy seat on the patio because you’ll want to sip on this strawberry-basil limoncello martini all summer long.

If you’ve made my strawberry-basil Tom Collins, you already know how delicious it is. We make that summery gin cocktail with a fresh strawberry-basil simple syrup that I could eat by the spoonful. But it’s really best not to do that, so in the spirit of not straight-up ingesting spoonfuls of simple syrup, it only seemed right to bring you another cocktail option.

Along with our strawberry-basil simple syrup, we get a lovely citrus kick from the limoncello. While the simple syrup and limoncello are both sweet ingredients, don’t worry. This martini isn’t cloying. We also add freshly squeezed lemon juice and vodka to create balance.

How to Make

The first step is to make our strawberry-basil simple syrup. To do this, we simply cook equal parts water and sugar in a small pot with fresh strawberries and basil. We bring the mixture to a boil and then turn off the heat to allow the syrup to steep to maximize flavor.

Now we strain the simple syrup and allow it to chill. When straining, I like to press down on the strawberries to make sure we get all that fresh strawberry flavor. The simple syrup keeps well in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Before mixing our martini, let's first make sure we chill our serving glasses. After all, we're talking summer martinis here. A chilled martini glass will go a long way in keeping our cocktail as cold and refreshing as possible.

We can chill our glasses a couple ways. One option is to place the glass in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Another great method is to fill the glass with water and ice, let it sit while you make the martini and then dump the water and ice when you're ready to serve.

Now we grab a cocktail shaker and add our strawberry-basil simple syrup, limoncello, vodka, freshly squeezed lemon juice and a handful of ice. We give it a good shake -- about 30 seconds -- and then pour into our chilled glass.

And that's it! Couldn't be easier, huh? Now sip away on the patio with good company for the perfect summer evening.

Perfect Pairing

With the strawberry, basil and lemon, you'll love a caprese-inspired snack or meal with this martini. You can keep it simple with caprese skewers or crostini or indulge in this decadent, creamy caprese carbonara that everyone is sure to love.

I hope you make the most of patio nights with this strawberry-basil limoncello martini. Please let me know how you enjoyed this recipe in the comment section and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. You can also catch me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.

Cheers!

Love Strawberry Cocktails?

• Strawberry-kiwi martini
• Strawberry-rhubarb gin fizz
• Strawberry-mint Moscow mule
• Roasted strawberry margarita
• Honeyed strawberry-rhubarb mimosa

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