Season Kitchen · In Season
Strawberry, yuzu & basil mocktail
A proper summer drink that happens to have no alcohol in it. Honey instead of sugar, real fruit, a few minutes to make. Sharp from the yuzu, sweet from the strawberries, with basil keeping it from being too easy.
You'll need
Strawberry purée (makes 4)
- 320gstrawberries
- 80mlhoney (¼ cup) - lighter than sugar; leave it out for sugar-free
Mocktail (serves 1)
- 100gstrawberry purée
- 30mlyuzu juice (or 20ml grapefruit juice + 10ml lemon juice)
- 5gbasil leaves
- ~70mlsparkling water, to top up
- ice cubes, as needed
To garnish
- fresh strawberries
- sprigs of basil
Method
-
Make the strawberry purée
Smash 320g of strawberries in a bowl with the honey until the mixture is mostly smooth with small chunks remaining. This purée is enough for 4 glasses.
-
Add the citrus
Measure 30ml of yuzu juice into a cocktail shaker. If substituting, squeeze in 20ml of grapefruit juice and 10ml of lemon juice instead.
-
Add the purée and basil
Add 100g of the prepared strawberry purée. Tear in the basil leaves (about 5g).
-
Shake
Fill the shaker with ice cubes. Close the lid, hold the top and bottom firmly, and shake hard until the outside feels icy cold.
-
Build the glass
Strain into a chilled glass. Add a sprig of basil and fill with ice cubes. Pour in sparkling water to about halfway (around 70ml), then top with the shaken mixture. Serve immediately. Garnish with a fresh strawberry.
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