Strawberry Margarita

I have another recipe on the site for Strawberry Margaritas that uses fresh strawberries, but this recipe uses strawberry-infused vermouth, which I had on hand after making a Strawberry Spritz. I like it so much, I decided to give it a go in a Margarita. It worked so well, even better than expected, that I just had to share. I think you’ll like it, too.

I was inspired to make the strawberry-infused vermouth (recipe here) by Chamberyzette, a French apéritif created in 1902 by Dolin distillery in the French alps, made by infusing local strawberries in vermouth blanc. (I featured the family-run distillery in my book, Drinking French.) Vermouth blanc is different than dry vermouth: Vermouth blanc is close to transparent and the botanicals lean less toward the bitter side and leans toward more floral and fruity flavors, such as citrus and elderflowers. In French, it goes by the name of Vermouth Blanc and in Italians it’s Vermouth Bianco. They’re both readily available in liquor shops, but if you can’t find a bottle, dry vermouth will work just fine.

Another thing I learned, in addition to strawberry-infused vermouth makes a great Margarita, is that rather than straining the drink after you shake it, then adding more ice back to it, you can simply open up the cocktail shaker and pour the whole shebang into a glass, and voilà – you’ve got a Strawberry Margarita already on the rocks, ready to go.