This Watermelon Strawberry Basil Cocktail is a refreshing summer tequila-and-rum drink made with watermelon pucker, strawberry syrup, fresh lemon juice, and strawberry-basil soda.
A perfect fruity cocktail for warm weather, backyard parties, and easy at-home entertaining.
Watermelon Strawberry Basil Cocktail
Where are all of my tequila drinkers? And while I’m at it, send the rum drinkers my way too!
We’re combining these two unique spirits to create a super refreshing, beautiful summer cocktail.
But that’s just the beginning! And because it’s summertime, we’re adding lots of summer flavors!
What You Will Need To Make Our Summer Tequila Cocktail:
Tequila. Most of us use tequila for only two things: taking shots and making margaritas. But tequila is so much more and can be used in a variety of cocktails. Our handcrafted cocktail makes good use of Añejo tequila, but use whatever kind of tequila you have on hand. Want to see some variance? Trade in the tequila for mezcal!
Rum. I love rum. I especially love Jamaican dark rum with its characteristic sweetness and citrus notes, and I find it pairs surprisingly well with the Añejo tequila.
Watermelon Pucker. I love watermelon liqueur because it’s dangerous and sweet, adding a bit to your favorite cocktails livens them up and adds lots of summery fruit flavor.
Strawberry Simple Syrup. It’s easy to make or grab a bottle from your local specialty liquor store. No matter how you get your hands on some, you will be glad you did, and remember that a little goes a long way.
Fresh Lemon Juice. Grab a lemon, roll it back and forth beneath the palm of your hand to loosen the fruit, slice it, and, using a citrus press, squeeze out this potent sour elixir. Lemon juice brightens any mixed drink and adds citrusy notes that bring a cocktail to life.
Citrus Bitters. Any good cocktail is a balance between a base spirit and typically both sweet and bitter flavors. Bitters are precisely what the name implies; they’re bitter. But not only are they bitter, but bitters also round out the flavor profile of a cocktail by adding botanical notes like bark, fruit, herbs, and roots. In this cocktail, I employ citrus bitters to add a bit of sophistication to this whimsical, fruity summer cocktail.
Strawberry Basil Soda. I like using an assortment of sodas in my warm-weather cocktails. Doing so adds fizzy carbonation, giving any cocktail a nice effervescent kick in the pants! We picked up a bottle of Strawberry Basil French Soda from World Market.
Fresh Watermelon, Strawberry & Basil. In my opinion, adding the wrong or correct garnish can make or break a cocktail. The right garnish pulls double-duty. First, it makes a cocktail visually appealing. Second, a garnish will also lend a subtle flavor to a cocktail. For this light summer drink, we’re using freshly sliced watermelon, ripe strawberries, and aromatic basil.
How To Make A Watermelon Strawberry Basil Cocktail
Ingredients:
1 Serving
- 1-ounce Añejo tequila
- 1-ounce Jamaican dark rum
- 1-ounce watermelon pucker
- 1/2 ounce simple strawberry syrup (recipe below)
- 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 oz of Strawberry Basil French Soda
- 2 dashes citrus bitters
- ice
- watermelon slice for garnish
- strawberry slice for garnish
- fresh basil leaf for garnish
Directions:
- Into a cocktail tin add ice, tequila, Jamaican dark rum, watermelon pucker, strawberry syrup, fresh lemon juice, and citrus bitters. Secure the lid and shake for thirty seconds.
- Fill a serving glass with ice, fill the glass halfway with strawberry basil soda, and strain the tequila-and-rum mixture over the soda.
- Garnish with a slice of watermelon and a strawberry on a cocktail stick. Add a fresh basil leaf. (lightly slap the basil to release aroma)
- Serve.
How to make Strawberry Syrup
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of sliced strawberries
- To make simple strawberry syrup, add one cup of granulated sugar, one cup of water, and one cup of sliced strawberries into a saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then smash the strawberries with a potato masher to release their juices. Allow the mixture to boil for another minute.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and top with a fitted lid. Allow the simple strawberry syrup to steep for five minutes.
- Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the syrup into a Mason jar with a lid. Cool the mixture in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. The mixture will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
Where to find Strawberry Basil French Soda?
World Market sells this French soda; you could always swap it for a strawberry soda if you can’t find it at your local grocery store.
The idea is to give your cocktail a bubbly flavor.
Can I use mint in place of basil?
If you do not want to use basil or can’t get your hands on it, mint is a great alternative.
It will still compliment the strawberry nicely.
What if I don’t have a cocktail shaker?
Use a glass or even a mason jar with a lid and shake away.
The idea is to really mix up all the ingredients and give the cocktail the sweet-and-tart flavor you want.
It blends it altogether nicely.
How do you use citrus bitters?
Citrus bitters are used to brighten up a drink. It adds a nice punch of citrus flavor, which can help balance the fruit’s sweetness and the alcohol’s punch.
You will find that bitters are used a little at a time, as they are pretty strong in flavor.
You can add more or less to suit your flavor preference.
Can I buy strawberry syrup instead of making my own?
Absolutely! Feel free to buy syrup to flavor the drink.
You will find that the strawberry syrup really sweetens up the cocktail. But it won’t make a huge difference using fresh.
You can use leftovers for flavoring any of your favorite drinks!
Now that you have the recipe, all you need is a good reason to turn up and have a refreshing handcrafted cocktail whenever the mood hits you. Cheers!
Other summer cocktails to try:
Watermelon Pink Lemonade Vodka Cocktail
Blueberry Watermelon Lemonade Slush
Strawberry Pineapple Margarita
Watermelon Strawberry Basil Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1- ounce Añejo tequila
- 1- ounce Jamaican dark rum
- 1- ounce watermelon pucker
- 1/2 ounce simple strawberry syrup
- 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 oz of Strawberry Basil French Soda
- 2 dashes citrus bitters
- ice
- watermelon slice garnish
- strawberry slice garnish
- fresh basil leaf garnish
Instructions
- Into a cocktail tin add ice, tequila, Jamaican dark rum, watermelon pucker, strawberry syrup, fresh lemon juice, and citrus bitters. Secure the lid and shake for thirty seconds.
- Fill a serving glass with ice, fill the glass halfway with strawberry basil soda, and strain the tequila-and-rum mixture over the soda.
- Garnish with a slice of watermelon and a strawberry on a cocktail stick. Add a fresh basil leaf. (lightly slap the basil to release aroma)
- Serve.
Notes
How to make Strawberry Syrup
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of sliced strawberries
- To make simple strawberry syrup, add one cup of granulated sugar, one cup of water, and one cup of sliced strawberries into a saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then smash the strawberries with a potato masher to release their juices. Allow the mixture to boil for another minute.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and top with a fitted lid. Allow the simple strawberry syrup to steep for five minutes.
- Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the syrup into a Mason jar with a lid. Cool the mixture in the fridge until you're ready to use it. The mixture will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
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