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Strawberry Gin Smash Cocktail with Basil and Elderflower

This strawberry gin smash blends fresh basil, elderflower liqueur, lime juice, and club soda into a bright, fizzy cocktail perfect for summer. Fruity and slightly tart with just a touch of floral sweetness, it’s easy to make as a single drink or a pitcher for gatherings—ideal for BBQs, pool days, and relaxed dinner parties.

A tall clear glass filled with a strawberry gin smash cocktail garnished with a half strawberry, white flower and basil on a white table.

My husband and I took a short “mini-moon” after our wedding—just a simple day spent wandering, sipping coffee, and, eventually, stopping for a cocktail. That afternoon a local bar served a strawberry-forward drink that stuck in my head. I set out to recreate a bright, summery strawberry cocktail that would be simple enough to make at home yet interesting enough to feel special.

The result kept the strawberry and basil character I loved but swapped in elderflower liqueur for a floral lift and lime for balance. After testing it at a few small dinner parties, this combination became my go-to summer drink: refreshing, bubbly, and easy to scale up when company arrives.

If you enjoy strawberry cocktails, consider trying other summer favorites such as spiked strawberry lemonade, a frozen strawberry Aperol spritz, or a strawberry-lemon rosé sangria.

A refreshing summer cocktail

This strawberry gin smash is bright and fragrant: fresh strawberries and basil form the base, elderflower liqueur adds a delicate floral sweetness, lime brightens the flavors, and club soda adds effervescence. It’s one of those cocktails that really does taste like summer in a glass.

  • Tastes like summer: strawberry, basil, and a hint of elderflower.
  • Quick and approachable: ready in minutes with no bartending skills required.
  • Scalable: make single servings or mix up a pitcher for gatherings.

You’ll need just a few ingredients

A glass of red juice, bowl of berries, alcohol bottles, a wood muddler, limes, and highball glasses on a counter.
  • Strawberries – fresh is best, but frozen work in a pinch.
  • Basil – use fresh leaves for that bright herbal note.
  • Lime juice – freshly squeezed for the cleanest flavor.
  • Simple syrup – equal parts sugar and water, or buy premade.
  • Gin – a floral, citrus-forward gin pairs beautifully.
  • Elderflower liqueur – adds a soft, floral sweetness.
  • Club soda – for sparkle and lift.

Make this cocktail (muddled or puréed)

There are two easy ways to prepare this drink: muddled or puréed. The muddled version is textured and a little rustic, while the puréed version is smooth and easier to sip. Both are delicious—choose based on your mood and tools.

Two images showing muddling strawberries in a glass and pouring club soda into the cocktail.

Muddled cocktail

  1. Add sliced strawberries to a highball glass and muddle until juicy and broken down.
  2. Add basil leaves and muddle gently to release their aroma—don’t pulverize the herb.
  3. Stir in lime juice, simple syrup, gin, and elderflower liqueur.
  4. Fill the glass with ice and top with club soda. Garnish with additional strawberries and a basil sprig, then stir before drinking.

Puréed cocktail

Use a blender or food processor for this version. It yields a silkier texture and is quick to combine.

  1. Purée strawberries and basil until smooth. Reserve about 1 ounce per cocktail.
  2. Combine the purée with lime juice, simple syrup, gin, and elderflower liqueur in each glass and stir.
  3. Fill with ice, top with club soda, garnish, and stir before sipping.

Pitcher cocktail

To serve a crowd, multiply the single-cocktail quantities and mix in a pitcher. For about 8 drinks, use:

  • 8 ounces strawberry-basil purée
  • 4 ounces lime juice
  • 4 ounces simple syrup
  • 12 ounces gin
  • 4 ounces elderflower liqueur
  • Club soda, to top

Make the puréed mixture ahead and add club soda just before serving so the drinks stay fizzy. The puréed version pours more smoothly from a pitcher, but muddled cocktails are great when served individually.

A woman holding a red cocktail and a side image of a strawberry gin cocktail on a table with strawberries and blossoms.

Make-ahead option

This cocktail is an excellent make-ahead choice. Combine everything except club soda in a covered pitcher and refrigerate for up to two days. When ready to serve, pour over ice and top each glass with club soda. Chilling the mixture allows the flavors to meld for a rounder, more harmonious drink.

Substitutions & variations

Want to experiment? Try these simple swaps:

  • Berries – raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries can replace strawberries.
  • Base spirit – vodka or bourbon both work well if you prefer something other than gin.
  • Carbonation – for a sweeter, celebratory variation use champagne, sparkling wine, lemon-lime soda, ginger ale, or sparkling lemonade instead of club soda.
A side image of a strawberry gin smash garnished with a strawberry, basil, and a white flower next to a bowl of strawberries and halved limes.

Tips & tricks

  • Use plenty of ice and add only as much club soda as needed for fizz; too much soda dilutes the flavor.
  • When muddling basil, be gentle—over-muddling can make the herb bitter.
  • Smashing a lime wedge (rind and all) with the berries releases aromatic oils from the peel and deepens the citrus character.

If you make this recipe, please leave a rating or review—feedback is always welcome!

Two strawberry cocktails on a counter with a bowl of berries and a wooden muddler.

Strawberry Gin Smash with Basil & Elderflower

Yield: 4 cocktails

Prep Time: 10 mins • Total Time: 10 mins

A bright, refreshing summer cocktail made with strawberry-basil purée, gin, elderflower liqueur, lime, and club soda. Easy to make as single servings or scaled up for a pitcher.

Ingredients

Strawberry Basil Purée

  • 1 cup strawberries, sliced
  • 8 basil leaves

Strawberry Gin Smash

  • 4 oz strawberry basil purée
  • 2 oz lime juice
  • 2 oz simple syrup
  • 6 oz gin
  • 2 oz elderflower liqueur
  • Club soda, to top
  • Extra strawberries and basil, for garnish

Instructions

Make the Strawberry Basil Purée

  1. In a blender or food processor, purée the strawberries and basil until smooth. You should end up with about 4 ounces of purée.

Puréed Version (single cocktails)

  1. In each highball glass, add 1 oz strawberry basil purée, 1/2 oz lime juice, 1/2 oz simple syrup, 1 1/2 oz gin, and 1/2 oz elderflower liqueur. Stir to combine.
  2. Fill the glass with ice, top with club soda, garnish with a strawberry and basil sprig, and stir before drinking.

Muddled Version (single cocktails)

  1. Place 1/4 cup sliced strawberries into each highball glass and muddle until juicy and broken down. Add 2 basil leaves and muddle briefly to release aroma.
  2. Add 1/2 oz lime juice, 1/2 oz simple syrup, 1 1/2 oz gin, and 1/2 oz elderflower liqueur to each glass and stir.
  3. Fill each glass with ice, top with club soda, garnish as desired, and stir right before serving.

Notes

  • If you don’t have a muddler, the handle of a wooden spoon works well.
  • To sweeten the drink, add more simple syrup or substitute club soda with a sweet bubbly like ginger ale or sparkling lemonade.
  • The purée yields enough for four cocktails. To make eight (for a pitcher), double the purée and use 1/2 cup lime juice, 1/2 cup simple syrup, 1 1/2 cups gin, and 1/2 cup elderflower liqueur. Top with soda to taste.

Nutrition (per cocktail)

Calories: 207 • Carbohydrates: 15.9 g • Protein: 0.4 g • Fat: 0.1 g • Sodium: 24 mg • Potassium: 89 mg • Fiber: 0.8 g • Sugar: 2 g • Calcium: 19 mg

xo Sara Lynn

Song of the day – “Muddled” by Alexei Shishkin

Originally posted July 2, 2021.