Fresh Strawberry Basil Syrup

Store in a sealed glass bottle in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Strawberry syrups with fresh basil degrade faster than plain fruit syrups — the basil continues to break down in refrigeration. Keep refrigerated.

Use peak-season strawberries — the flavor difference between local farmers market strawberries in June and supermarket strawberries in January is enormous in a syrup where strawberry is the primary flavor. Hull the strawberries but leave them whole during cooking to prevent excessive seed and fiber content in the finished syrup. Add the basil off the heat to the finished warm syrup and steep for only five minutes — prolonged heat turns basil bitter and brown. Strain twice — once through a coarse strainer to remove seeds and large fruit pieces, then through a fine-mesh strainer for a clean, vibrant syrup.

Strawberry and basil as a flavor pairing has deep roots in Italian cuisine, where fresh basil is scattered over strawberries with a splash of balsamic vinegar as a classic dessert in the Emilia-Romagna region. The pairing entered the American craft cocktail world in the mid-2000s when bartenders began combining culinary herb syrups with fruit to create more complex, layered cocktail sweeteners. Strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa) — the commercial garden variety developed in France in the 18th century from a cross between North American and Chilean wild species — have been an essential cocktail ingredient since the earliest American bars, appearing in Strawberry Smashes and cobblers throughout the 19th century. The addition of fresh Genovese basil adds an anise-pepper complexity to the strawberry's natural sweetness and dramatically elevates the finished cocktail beyond what strawberry syrup alone can achieve.

A strawberry-black pepper syrup adds a gentle heat and savory complexity by steeping one teaspoon of coarsely cracked black pepper in the finished warm syrup for five minutes — outstanding in gin spritzes and prosecco cocktails. A strawberry-balsamic syrup, made by adding one tablespoon of aged balsamic vinegar to the finished cooled syrup, creates the Italian dessert tradition in cocktail form. For a strawberry-mint syrup, substitute one cup of fresh spearmint for the basil — this produces a bright, classic summer cocktail syrup for Mojito-inspired drinks.

No common top-eight allergens. Naturally vegan and gluten-free. Basil is in the mint family (Lamiaceae). Strawberry is among the fruits most commonly associated with oral allergy syndrome in those with birch pollen sensitivity.