Get ready for your new go-to summer cocktail! This Strawberry Gin Smash recipe is fruity and fresh, perfectly sweet and a whole lot of delicious.
Table of Contents
About this Cocktail
Truthfully, gin really isn’t my thing. I definitely lean toward tequila or vodka as my liquor of choice, but the amount of gin smash recipes I’ve been seeing on Instagram as well as all over restaurant menus has inspired me. Something about the mash up of fresh ingredients in a cocktail takes it to the next level!!
A classic gin smash highlights muddle mint and some sort of citrus and the two most popular gin smash recipes I’ve seen are basil or blackberry. I wanted to switch things up a bit, especially taking advantage of fresh summer sweet strawberries.
Juicy strawberries muddled with fresh lime, mixed with a homemade simple syrup pairs so well with the subtle citrus in the gin. Top your strawberry gin cocktail off with bubbly club soda for a refreshing drink you’ll adore!
And if you’re looking for more delicious summer cocktails, also try this Blueberry Vodka Lemonade, this Strawberry Martini, this this Blueberry Texas Ranch Water, this Spicy Mezcal Paloma, or this Sparkling Peach Sangria, which I think you’ll enjoy, too!
more of our favorite Cocktail Recipes...
- Limoncello Spritz
- Banana Margarita
- Strawberry Mango Daiquiri
- Spicy Mezcal Paloma
- Pineapple Moscow Mule
- Strawberry Gin Smash Cocktail
- Hibiscus Refresher
- Frozen Raspberry Prosecco Sangria
- Watermelon Vodka Slush
- Blood Orange Moscow Mule
- Sparkling Peach Sangria
- Blueberry Lemonade Vodka
- Rose Aperol Spritz
- Strawberry Martini
Recipe Ingredients
- Sugar & Water - To create your own simple syrup.
- Strawberries - For the syrup, muddled into the cocktail, and for garnish.
- Lime - We need some citrus as a classic part of the gin smash.
- Gin - I prefer a dry gin. I used Aviation American Girl batch distilled gin.
- Garnish - Take your cocktail up a notch with game winning garnish. I used mint and fresh strawberries, but basil leaves and lime wedges are also great additions.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Fruit: Try another berry! Make it a blueberry smash, blackberry smash, or raspberry smash.
- Gin: If gin isn’t your thing, substitute vodka or even a silver tequila could work.
- Bubbly: Instead of soda water, try another carbonated beverage like La Croix, Topo Chico, tonic water, ginger beer, ginger ale or go sweeter like a lemon lime soda like Sprite or 7 Up.
- Simple Syrup: If you don’t have time/don’t want to make the simple syrup, I suggest using a tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of strawberry jam in replacement!
How to Make This Recipe
1. In a small sauce pot, whisk together water, cane sugar, and diced strawberries. Bring the mixture to a boil on medium heat. Mash the berries around a bit to encourage them to turn into a jam-like substance. Reduce to a simmer for 5-10 minutes until the sugar dissolves, then remove from the heat and let cool for 20 minutes.
2. In a cocktail shaker (or tall glass), add 4 large strawberries and the juice from the lime. Give it a gentle muddle. Add the gin and 2 oz of strawberry simple syrup. Stir.
3. Fill two glasses with ice. Pour the gin strawberry mixture into each glass.
4. Top each glass with a splash of club soda, garnish with fresh mint sprigs or basil leaves, a lime wedge and a strawberry slice. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- You don’t need to use the freshest strawberries since we’re mashing them up. Use up those overripe almost mushy berries for this recipe. They’ll actually make your drink sweeter!
- Feel free to shake the ingredients in the cocktail shaker with ice for an extra chilled drink (but be sure not to add the Club Soda to avoid a carbonation explosion!)
- You will have extra strawberry syrup – simply keep it in the refrigerator. Use it in another cocktail, top on yogurt, add it to ice cream, etc.
- Find more of my Cocktail Essentials and Mixologist Tips and Tricks here!
Recipe FAQs
Store in a glass jar or bottle. It’ll last in the fridge for up to two weeks. You can also freeze for up to 5 months.
You can mix all of the ingredients in your shaker 24 hours in advance. Just be sure to keep the ice and club soda separate until ready to serve so you don’t water down the drink or lose carbonation.
A few ways to make your cocktail colder are to 1. Store your gin in the freezer and remaining ingredients all in the coldest part of your fridge so they’re nice and chilled when it’s time to make the drink. 2. Shake the ingredients in the cocktail shakers with ice and 3. Serve over shaved ice. With more surface area, your drink will become colder, quicker.
Absolutely! To make this Strawberry Smash an alcohol-free drink, you can simply replace the gin with extra tonic water or you can find non-alcoholic spirits like this zero proof non-alcoholic gin. The flavors in this drink are still impeccable and make for a tangy mocktail!
More Recipes You'll Love
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Recipe
Strawberry Gin Smash
Equipment
- Sauce pot
- Whisk
- measuring cups / spoons
- shot jigger
- glassware
- Cocktail shaker
- cocktail strainer
Ingredients
Strawberry Simple Syrup
- ½ cup cane sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup diced strawberries
Cocktail
- 1 lime
- 4 large strawberries
- 4 oz gin
- ½ cup ice
- 12 oz club soda
Instructions
For the syrup:
- In a small sauce pot, whisk together water, cane sugar, and diced strawberries. Bring the mixture to a boil on medium heat.
- Mash the berries around a bit to encourage them to turn into a jam-like substance.
- Reduce to a simmer for 5-10 minutes until the sugar dissolves, then remove from the heat and let cool for 20 minutes.
For the cocktail:
- In a cocktail shaker (or tall glass), add 4 large strawberries and the juice from the lime. Give it a gentle muddle.
- Add the gin and 2 oz of strawberry simple syrup. Stir.
- Fill two glasses with ice. Strain the gin strawberry mixture into each glass.
- Top each glass with club soda and garnish with fresh mint sprigs and a strawberry slice. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Video
Notes
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you're using MyFitnessPal, search 'A Paige Of Positivity' and find Strawberry Gin Smash calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
NOTE: this is counting the alcohol as strictly carbs - remember, if you are counting your macros & alcohol, this is a good reference: Macrostax | How To Calculate Alcohol for Macro Counting
TO COUNT YOUR ALCOHOL AS A CARBOHYDRATE: Use the total number of calories in a drink divided by 4 (Example: 5 ounces of Red Zinfandel = 132 calories 132 calories/4 = 33g Carbs. TO COUNT YOUR ALCOHOL AS A FAT: Use the total number of calories in a drink divided by 9 (Example: 5 ounces of Red Zinfandel = 132 calories 132 calories/9 = 15g Fat) TO COUNT YOUR ALCOHOL AS BOTH A CARBOHYDRATE AND A FAT: Use the a portion of the total number of calories in a drink divided by 4 Use the remainder of the total number of calories in a drink divided by 9. Example: 5 ounces of Red Zinfandel = 132 calories 66 calories/4 = 16.5g Carbs 66 calories/9 = 7g Fat
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
Courtney Paige says
I am not a gin drinker and these blew me awayyyyy. Oh my goodness they're SO tasty!
Sydney Van Acker says
My go-to summer drink! obsessed with this cocktail. It's strong, but not overwhelming at all and I love the strawberry simple syrup. I made extra to keep on hand!! Tasty in mocktails, too
Joanne says
Fantastic recipe. Made this for my wife and I over the weekend with garden strawberries.