Name: Thai Inspired Vodka Cocktail
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 oz. simple syrup; 2 oz Vodka; 1 cup ice; 4-5 leaves Thai basil; 3-4 leaves mint; 1 Kaffir lime leaf; 1 red Thai chili ((bird's eye chili), optional); 1/2 355 ml can Tonic water; Squeeze of lime

Jump to Recipe

Thai Inspired Vodka Cocktail - Vodka cocktail with vodka, Tonic water, simple syrup, mint, Thai basil, Kaffir lime leaf, lime juice, and a bird's eye chili.

I have an obsession with Thai food; the flavors and the balance of sweet, sour, spicy and salty. My favorite Thai ingredients are lemongrass, Thai chilies, Thai basil, lime, fish sauce, coconut milk, and lime leaves. I love curry and coconut soup, Massaman, Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, the list goes on and on...

This Thai inspired vodka cocktail came about after I came home with the basil plants I mentioned in my last post, Strawberry Basil Pops (I have an obsession with basil too, haha)

What are you obsessed with, food-wise?

Once I had my Thai basil and mint plants home, I had the idea to try to create a cocktail based on them. I had some lime leaves and red Thai chilies in the freezer (as always) and some simple syrup. (The red chili was just a garnish, for color) I brought out Tito’s vodka (not sponsored, just love it) and started muddling and pouring. The end result was a cocktail we both loved and have had a few times since. 😉

If you don’t have simple syrup, check out my blog post for that, it’s as easy as combining and heating sugar and water.

What’s your favorite cocktail?

How to Make a Thai Inspired Vodka Cocktail

First, make your Simple Syrup. It takes 5 minutes and it's really easy.

Add the simple syrup and the lime leaf, basil leaves and mint leaves to a glass. Use a muddler or a spoon to muddle the leaves, which is just hitting them a bit to release their oils and flavors.

Add the ice and then the vodka. Stir. Fill with Tonic water and add a squeeze of lime juice and the chili, if using.

Very easy to scale up for a group.