Gin Daisy Made Better With Strawberries

Strawberries and lavender take a classic gin daisy cocktail to new heights. Try this delicious new take on a classic gin drink.

Strawberry Gin Daisy or Daiquiri?

Ok, It’s a Daisy, not a Daiquiri

I created the Strawberry Gin Daiquiri for a cocktail festival last fall. The event organizers decided that the theme should be Cuba in the 1950’s. Great idea. Except that I was working with a gin distillery at the time. Cuba in the 1950’s doesn’t lend itself to working with gin. So, I cheated. I made a Strawberry Daiquiri with Gin. Which is a Strawberry Gin Daisy.

The funny thing was the number of people who were all – ‘Ewww, Strawberry Daiquiri. Gross.’ And then they tasted it. And they were all like. ‘OMG. Wow. That’s good.’ I wonder what the reaction would have been if we called it a Daisy.

Gin Daisy Variation

This is a variation on a gin daisy. If you check out the daisy cocktail guide you’ll see that this family cocktail contains some pretty legendary members. Margarita anyone?

You’ll also see that the basic daisy recipe is one and a half parts spirit modified with 1/2 part of orange liqueur and finished with the classic 1:1 sugar and acid mix.

Strawberry Gin

For this recipe we have made a couple of tweaks. The first one is that we are using a strawberry gin. The strawberry gin is a fairly simple infused gin.

Strawberry Bitters

The strawberry bitters are a homemade affair as well, but you could just as easily purchase some commercial strawberry bitters. There are a couple good ones available.

Vanilla and Lavender Syrup

Lavender Sugar

This drink has a few components you’ll have to make. The vanilla and lavender syrup is pretty straightforward. The bitters will take a couple of months to infuse. The strawberry gin needs three days to infuse. So plan ahead.

Flavor Description

  • Tart
  • Fruity
  • Herbal

This drink has a lot going on. The typical sweet tart sour balance is at work here. Vanilla and lavender highlights the floral and botanical notes in the gin. The strawberry bitters ground everything with some funky herbal notes.

Strawberry Gin Daisy

  • 1 oz gin
  • ½ oz Cointreau
  • ½ oz strawberry bitters
  • 1 oz vanilla & lavender syrup
  • 1 oz fresh lime juice
  1. Rim a chilled coupe glass in vanilla lavender syrup and lavender sugar.
  2. Pour gin, Cointreau, syrup strawberry bitters and lime juice into a shaker filled with ice.
  3. Shake vigorously for 10 – 15 seconds.
  4. Strain into prepared glass.
  5. Garnish with a fresh lavender sprig.

Notes

Look for a modern style gin with more restrained juniper notes.

 

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