The prettiest mocktail I ever did see! If you're looking for a simple yet stunning floral mocktail with basil, consider it found. With the perfect balance of cucumber, elderflower and lime, this delicious non-alcoholic drink is ideal for garden parties, picnics, baby showers and everything in between. You'll also learn the trick to making basil mocktails that I wish I'd known sooner...and trust me, it makes all the difference.

this recipe

why you'll love this recipe

It's easy to love this simple recipe because:

• The flavor balance is perfection: I don't know about you, but I absolutely adore a basil cucumber mocktail. I'm lucky enough to have fresh basil growing in my garden right now and the combination of fresh cucumber, tart lime and sweet elderflower is a taste sensation. If you love this mocktail, I guarantee you'll love my cucumber mocktails and my non-alcoholic elderflower mojitos too.
• It's Insta-worthy: yes, I know the most important thing is the way it tastes, but lets face it - we all love a pretty mocktail too! Luckily, you get BOTH with this recipe.
• It's easy to scale up for friends: the only thing better than a mocktail for one is a batch mocktail for guests, so I have included a quick batch method below. Enjoy!
  

Ingredients

• Cucumber juice: fresh or homemade is fine. If you don't have a juicer at home, you'll find the method to make cucumber juice without a blender in the recipe card below.
• Lime juice: fresh is always best if you can!
• Basil leaves
• Non-alcoholic white wine: I recommend a dry wine, but I'm not much of a sweet tooth. You're welcome to choose a sweet alcohol-free wine if you're more of a sweet tooth, and you'll find the best non-alcoholic white wines here. You can substitute this for white grape juice if you wish.
• Elderflower cordial or syrup: I personally love the Belvoir cordial brand, but you can choose any you wish.
• Optional garnishes: extra basil and edible flowers.

To Make Your floral basil mocktail

1. Place the lime juice and basil leaves into your shaker.
2. Muddle the basil a few times until it is lightly bruised. Don't muddle it until it is mushy...just a few gentle presses will do!

3. Add the cucumber juice, elderflower cordial or syrup and non-alcoholic wine (or substitute).
4. Add a few cubes of ice, replace the lid and shake for 10-15 seconds until the ingredients are cold and well combined.

5. Strain the mixture into your coupe or martini glass.
6. Garnish with edible flowers and fresh basil if you wish.

Expert Tips and Tricks

• Go gentle on your basil: basil mocktails require a delicate touch! Did you know that muddling this delicious herb too aggressively can make it release chlorophyll? This can make your mocktail taste bitter and grassy. Just lightly press and gently twist the muddler a few times and this will be plenty.
  
• Other basil tips: look for firm, bright green leaves when choosing your basil. These will give you the best flavor. You can also slap the basil in your hands prior to adding it to the shaker, which will help to wake up the essential oils without damaging the leaves.
  
• Choose your edible flowers wisely: I always use edible blooms I've grown in my own garden or purchased flowers in the grocery store that are marked 'food grade'. Always, always check prior to consuming that your flowers haven't been sprayed with pesticides or other nasties.
  
• Go for a dry white...unless you're a real sweet tooth! I am not a fan of super sweet mocktails, so I opted for a dry alcohol-free white wine. The elderflower cordial/syrup is sweet enough, and I have given the option of adding more if you wish.

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I hope you love these floral mocktails with basil as much as I do!