This Italian strawberry basil mocktail (strawberry basil shrub) is what I will be sipping on all summer because it is delicious, refreshing and perfect for warmer weather. If you are not familiar with shrubs, they are drinks made with a flavored vinegar and other mixers. They are also non-alcoholic and that is what makes this the perfect Italian mocktail recipe and the prefect non-alcoholic drink!
Traditional shrubs are made by aging herbs or fruit with a vinegar for a long time. This is my fast version by using my balsamic strawberries recipe and it tastes just as good.
This is my quick mocktail as well when I do not feel like drinking alcohol but I still want a great drink to sip on. Whether you are not in the mood for alcohol or trying out dry January, a special drink like this one is all you need.
Here are the ingredients for this Italian Mocktail recipe:
- Balsamic Strawberries (recipe below!)
- Fresh basil leaves
- Crushed ice
- Soda water or tonic water
As I mentioned above, this drink is really quick to make and I just make it on demand when I am in the mood. The recipe is for one drink.
If you want to make this mocktail for a group of people, just make extra balsamic strawberries and you can muddle all of the ingredients in a large pitcher.
Serve the pitcher of this Italian drink with glasses full of crushed ice.
This recipe is great for one person or a crowd. It is light and refreshing and the perfect non alcoholic drink.
Also, this shrub actually tastes better the longer it sits so feel free to make it ahead of time.
How to make this easy Italian shrub:
This is an Italian style shrub because of the basil and balsamic strawberries added in to the drink. The first thing you want to do is add all of the ingredients into a glass (strawberries with balsamic and basil).
You can also do this in a pitcher if you are making more than one drink.
Now you can go ahead and muddle all of the ingredients together. This is just mashing everything down with a muddler.
This allows the strawberries to release their juices. When you make this delicious Italian shrub, I suggest you add extra of the balsamic syrup into the drink.
It really is so good that way.
Once all of the ingredients are muddled together, you can add in the soda water and mix well. The ingredients that you muddled remain on the bottom of the glass while the delicious flavored soda water is what you sip on.
The delicious strawberries on the bottom can be eaten after you finish your drink as well. It is totally up to you!
This really is a delicious and refreshing drink to sip on and perfect for staying hydrated in the heat. If you are looking for an alternative to alcoholic drinks, then this is the perfect drink for you!
Italian Strawberry and Basil Shrub (mocktail)
Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!
Ingredients
Balsamic Strawberries
- 1 pint Fresh strawberries cleaned and dried preferably organic
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Drink
- 4 fresh basil leaves
- crushed ice if you don't have crushed ice regular ice cubes work fine.
- 8 ounces soda water or tonic water
Instructions
Balsamic Strawberries
- Grab a medium bowl and set aside
- Prepare your cleaned strawberries by cutting the tops off and cutting them into quarters
- Add your quartered strawberries to your bowl
- Now add your balsamic vinegar and sugar to the bowl
- Gently mix your strawberries, balsamic and sugar together
- Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes on the counter or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
- Give it another good mix and serve on it's own or over your favorite dessert or drink.
Making your drink
- Grab a medium glass
- Add two large tablespoons of your balsamic strawberries to your glass. Save the rest of your strawberries for more drinks or to use as a delicious dessert topper.
- Scoop up a tablespoon extra of the balsamic syrup and add that into your glass as well.
- Now add your fresh basil to the glass.
- Muddle (smash) your strawberries and basil really well. If you do not have a muddling tool, find a kitchen tool that you can use the handle of (a wooden stirring spoon works well) and smash up your ingredients with that.
- Now add your ice and soda water.
- Mix well.
- Enjoy!
Notes
This recipe is for one glass.
You can easily double, triple or more this recipe just by multiplying the recipe by the number of glasses you need. You will have more balsamic strawberries than you need for this drink. These are perfect as a dessert topping or to make more drinks later. You can find recipe ideas HERE for how I love using these balsamic strawberries!Nutrition
Nutrition Values are estimates only.
See full nutrition disclaimer here
Fiona says
Very refreshing! Not too sweet and my husband and I enjoyed them!
Ali says
This looks so good!