Cherry Basil Spritzer

I stumbled upon a little farmers market last Saturday while taking a walk so of course I had to stop and take a look. I found some very fragrant basil I just couldn’t pass up. A pint of cherries was also calling my name so I picked up a container of them as well. Originally I thought I’d make some of my favorite pesto and just eat the cherries. But while walking home I got to wondering what cherries and basil together would taste like. And that’s basically how this Cherry Basil Spritzer came to being. This drink can easily be made non-alcoholic simply by omitting the booze!

I confess, I made this drink twice. The first time I muddled some cherries with a few basil leaves in a glass, added some simple syrup, vodka (you could add rum if you prefer) and club soda. Pretty much the same way as making a mojito. Like I mentioned in my Strawberry Mojito, I’m not a big fan of chunky stuff floating in my cocktails. So I wanted to give it a try with a strawberry basil simple syrup to compare. Both methods produce a delightful, summer sipper so it really just depends on your preferences for chunks vs. no chunks. Using a cherry basil flavored simple syrup produced a little bit sweeter drink, which for me is not a problem when I make a tall drink that contains ice and club soda. If you like your drinks not sweet, try the muddled option so you can control the amount of sweetener you add.

I don’t own a handy gadget to pit the cherries so I went through the somewhat laborious process of pitting the cherries with a knife, which, btw, will make your fingers red! I am now going to buy one of these cherry pitters (affiliate link) to make the process a little easier. Plus, it’s a great excuse for another kitchen gadget! Heck, you can even pit olives too!

I know a cherry basil spritzer may sound a bit strange to some of you, it did for me when I first thought about it, but I hope it will inspire you to try different fruit/herb combinations in your cocktails this summer while fresh fruit and herbs are at their peak!

Cherry Basil Spritzer

A delightful, summertime cocktail. For a non-alcoholic version, just omit the vodka!

Ingredients

For the Simple Syrup Version:

1½ shots Cherry Basil simple syrup (see directions below)
1 shot vodka
squeeze of fresh lemon juice
club soda

For the muddled fruit version:

4 or 5 fresh cherries, pitted
3 basil leaves
½ shot simple syrup (more or less to taste)
squeeze of fresh lemon juice
club soda

Instructions

To make spritzer with cherry basil simple syrup:

Prepare flavored simple syrup (you can read more about that here) by combining 1//2 C. sugar, ½ C. water, 1-1/2 C. pitted and roughly chopped cherries* in a saucepan and bring to a boil to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat, add a few basil leaves (not too many or it will overpower the cherry flavor) and let it simmer about 10-15 minutes to break down cherries. Set aside, let it cool. When cooled, pour mixture into fine mesh strainer and strain to remove solids.
In cocktail shaker combine cherry simple syrup, vodka, and lemon juice, Shake well, pour into a tall glass filled with ice. Top with club soda.

To make using the muddled fruit method:

Add cherries, basil, simple syrup to glass. Muddle well to break down the fruit. Add vodka, lemon juice, ice. Top with club soda. Stir to combine.

* I used my entire pint of cherries I bought when making the simple syrup, minus some that I ate on my way home on my walk and the few I used for the muddled version. The amount does not have to be exact, so enjoy some of those fresh cherries while you have them in front of you!

For a non-alcoholic version, simply omit the alcohol.