Strawberry Basil Shrub Cocktail

A Strawberry Basil Shrub is made with fresh strawberries, basil, gin, and club soda! It’s a refreshing cocktail for spring or summer dinner parties, barbecues, and pool days. 

About This Strawberry Basil Cocktail 

When discussing cocktails, a “shrub” refers to a vinegar-based syrup that’s been sweetened and infused with fruits, herbs, or spices. Shrubs are generally made using a 1:1:1 ingredient ratio of fruit, sugar, and vinegar. 

The shrub mixture doesn’t taste like vinegar; it’s more of a tangy fruit syrup. When mixed with your liquor of choice, the flavors combine to make a unique flavor you can’t achieve with regular strawberry simple syrup (which is made with water instead of vinegar). 

In this recipe, I made the classic strawberry shrub cocktail recipe even better by adding fresh basil leaves. The basil doesn’t overwhelm the strawberry flavor, it simply adds some freshness and a mild licorice undertone to the cocktail. 

Take advantage of strawberry season by making this fruity cocktail! It’s great for sipping poolside, at barbecues, or as a digestif after a big meal.  

Love shrub cocktails? My Rosemary Cranberry Shrub Cocktail is the perfect drink to sip during the fall and winter!

Tools You’ll Need

There are a few specific kitchen tools you’ll need to make both the strawberry shrub and the finished cocktail.  

• Small Saucepan — For cooking the strawberry shrub syrup. 
• Measuring Cups — To measure the shrub ingredients.
• Wooden Spoon — To stir the shrub while it cooks.
• Fine Mesh Strainer — To strain the strawberries from the shrub syrup. 
• Mason Jar — For storing the cocktail shrub.
• Jigger — For measuring the cocktail ingredients. 
• Cocktail Mixing Glass — For building the cocktail. 
• Muddler — To muddle the fresh basil leaves into the gin. 
• Knife and Cutting Board — For preparing the fresh strawberries. 

Cocktail Ingredients 

Before making the cocktail, you’ll first need to prepare the homemade strawberry shrub syrup. Here’s what you’ll need for both the shrub and the final cocktail: 

For the strawberry shrub: 

• Fresh Strawberries (otherwise thaw frozen strawberries and use those) 
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Granulated Sugar 

For the cocktail and garnishes: 

• Gin
• Fresh Basil Leaves
• Club Soda
• Strawberry Shrub Mixture 
• Fresh Strawberry Slices 

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

Other Liquors You Can Use 

I settled on gin for this strawberry basil cocktail, but I also tested the recipe with vodka, tequila, and mezcal. The shrub cocktail can be made with any of these spirits!  

• Gin makes the cocktail more refreshing and herbal. 
• Vodka is flavorless, which lets the strawberry shrub shine through.
• Tequila or mezcal give it a fun twist! (Especially mezcal since it has a smokier flavor.) 

This is a fantastic cocktail recipe to play around with depending on your alcohol preferences. We enjoyed all of them but ultimately decided that gin was the winner for us.

How to Make a Strawberry Basil Shrub Cocktail 

This strawberry basil shrub is easy to prepare, and the shrub syrup can be made a few days ahead of time if you’re planning a dinner party or get-together. 

1. Make the cocktail shrub: Combine the strawberries, apple cider vinegar, and granulated sugar in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then let boil for 2 minutes. Stir regularly to help the sugar dissolve. 
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. 
3. Cool completely, then strain through a fine mesh strainer and into a glass jar. 
4. Assemble the cocktails: Add the gin and basil leaves to a cocktail mixing glass and muddle. Stir in the club soda.
5. Fill 2 glasses with crushed ice. Pour the strawberry shrub over the ice. 
6. Strain the contents of the mixing glass over ice, dividing between the two glasses. Discard the muddled basil. 

The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.

Garnish Ideas 

You can enjoy the basil and strawberry shrub cocktail as is, or garnish it with fresh strawberry slices and fresh basil sprigs like I did. 

FAQs

Got questions about how to make this recipe? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.

Can I use a different fresh herb in this cocktail? 

Sure! I imagine fresh mint, thyme, or rosemary would work well in this strawberry shrub cocktail. You just might have to play around with the amount used.

Can I use a different berry in the homemade shrub? 

Probably! You could use the same ingredient ratios to make a shrub with fresh blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and so on. Strawberries are fairly sweet, so if you use a tart berry you might have to adjust the amount of sugar used as well. 

Is a shrub cocktail shaken or stirred? 

The club soda is stirred into the muddled basil and gin mixture. If you try to shake it up, the fizzy club soda will explode out of the cocktail shaker. 

From there, the shrub syrup has to be poured over the ice and then topped with the club soda mixture. This prevents the cocktail from bubbling up and over the glass. 

Is a shrub cocktail served over ice? 

Yes, I recommend using crushed or nugget ice in this cocktail. 

Can this cocktail be made non-alcoholic? 

Sure! To make this a strawberry basil shrub mocktail, simply replace the gin with a non-alcoholic alternative. 

Some good non-alcoholic gin brands include: Lyre’s, Ritual Zero Proof, Monday, and New London Light. 

Safety tip: Note that depending on brand you use, some alcohol-removed spirits may still contain trace amounts of alcohol. Check before using/serving to kids or drinking during pregnancy, etc. 

What to Serve with a Strawberry Basil Shrub 

The fruity flavors in this strawberry gin shrub cocktail make it the perfect choice for pool days, baby showers, Mother’s Day or Easter brunch, and more. 

Pair the cocktail with one or more of the following: 

• Finger foods: cucumber watercress sandwiches, almond croissants, cucumber rolls, berry lettuce cups, and mango salsa. 
• Entrees: crustless broccoli quiche, tarragon chicken salad, quiche Lorraine, coconut chia pudding parfaits, and ham egg muffins. 
• Salads: citrus fennel salad, cold asparagus salad, and zucchini tomato salad. 
• Desserts: lemon ricotta cake, lemon curd pavlova, strawberries and cream, rhubarb coffee cake, and strawberry galette. 

Try This Cocktail at Home! 

Next time you’re looking for a strawberry basil cocktail, give this shrub recipe a try! 

Did you think it was the perfect drink? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought.

On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see your photo of this strawberry basil gin shrub! 

More Strawberry Cocktail Recipes:  

Made with just three ingredients, this Strawberry Mimosa recipe is so easy to make! Strawberry mimosas are perfect for special occasion brunches, Valentine’s Day, or breakfast in bed!

If you enjoy fresh strawberry cocktails, you’re bound to love this Strawberry Aperol Spritz! Aperol is infused with strawberries before being combined with prosecco and club soda in the classic spritz ratios. Cocktails don’t get more summery than this! 

Fresh strawberries, basil, and lime juice infuse this Strawberry Basil Margarita with bright summer flavors. Keep reading to learn what makes this the best strawberry margarita, how to make a large batch of these margs, and our favorite mocktail substitutes!

Sweet, tart, and boozy, this Strawberry Rhubarb Whiskey Sour is a spin on the classic rye whiskey cocktail. The strawberry rhubarb simple syrup pairs perfectly in this cocktail as well as many others! 

Get More Recipes via Email

Did you love this recipe? Sign up to receive Good Life Eats Email Updates and never miss another recipe!