Corcoran Street Kitchen: Strawberry Basil Ginger Mojito

It was a tough day at work. Suffice to say, all I wanted was a liquid dinner when I got home. Plus, a Corcoran Street Cocktail was LONG overdue. I had my very first mojito at Alma de Cuba, one of my favorite restaurants in Philadelphia. The mojito jumped to the top of my list of favorite summertime drinks. This is a big twist on the original mojito because I use basil instead of mint which gives it a complex flavor with a very subtle peppery bite. The sweet strawberries perfectly compliment the spicy ginger simple syrup. If you are looking for a special cocktail to welcome the summer on Memorial Day...you found it!

Strawberry Basil Ginger Mojito
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2-3 inch hunk of ginger (1/3 cup)
1 pint strawberries
1 bunch basil (20-30 leaves)
4 limes
White Rum
Club Soda

This makes enough mojitos for about 2 pitchers or 12 drinks. If you're making them, you might as well make enough for your friends too!

1. Make a Ginger Simple Syrup by coarsely chopping the ginger and bringing sugar, water, and ginger to a boil.

2. Let it boil for 10-15 minutes until slightly thickened. Make this syrup ahead of time so that you can cool it down before making your drinks. It will last in the fridge up to 2 weeks. I leave the hunks of ginger in there to cool, but I strain them out before I add the syrup to the drink.

3. Cut the limes and strawberries into quarters.

4. Combine 10-15 Basil leaves, half the ginger syrup, half the lime slices, and half the strawberries. Use a wooden spoon to squish them together for a few seconds. This is called muddling and it brings out all the basil, lime, and ginger flavors.