Strawberry Basil Gin Smash

We are huge Hendricks Gin and Tonic fans at our house. After a big farmers market delivery last week from FarmboxLA we had some beautiful strawberries, lemon, and basil to play with and decided to add a bit of "summer" to a truly classic combination.

Instead of just muddling the strawberry and basil - I went a few steps further - no bruised basil or awkward chunks of strawberry here! See the details below.

Strawberry Basil Gin Smash 

Ingredients:
1 lb Strawberries
1 lemon, juiced + extra wedges
1 bunch basil
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Hendricks Gin 
Tonic 
Ice 

Method: 
1. Make a basil simple syrup. Place 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan with a bunch of fresh basil. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolves. Strain out basil. Let cool completely. 
2. Place strawberries in vitamix blender with juice from 1 lemon and puree until smooth. If you need a bit more liquid to get a smooth consistency, add a splash of water. 
3. Fill glass with ice. Add 2 oz fresh strawberry puree, 2 oz gin, and 1 Tbsp basil simple syrup. Finish with tonic water and a squeeze of lemon. stir. enjoy.