It's been raining incessantly in San Francisco, quite the departure from our stay in Florida, where we were in town for the South Beach Wine & Food Festival.

As a San Franciscan who'd never seen the staggering good looks of Miami Beach, I was more than happy to head back home to Fog City and be in my element.

However, now more than a week later, I'm longing to be back there. The image that keeps playing in my mind? The serenity of lying in the sun poolside at the classic Eden Roc, where I stayed, with a riveting book in one hand and an even more compelling cocktail in the other.
I can't replicate the sun, sand, and surf, but sipping on one of these warmer-weather libations puts me at least halfway there. I love the combination of strawberries and basil; it's a little earthier than mint. Gin, too, adds a bit of complexity that's not there with vodka. For a cheerful drink recipe to remind you of sunnier climes, keep reading.

Adapted from the bar at 1500º Miami at the Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach

The Eden 1500º

Ingredients

3 large strawberries
1 tablespoon basil, roughly chopped
1 ounce ginger syrup
1-1/2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
Ice, for shaking
Strawberry coated in granulated sugar and black pepper, for garnish

Directions

1. In a mixing glass, muddle the strawberries, basil, and ginger syrup.
2. Add in the gin, fresh lime juice, and ice; shake vigorously to combine.
3. Transfer to a highball glass. Serve garnished with a sugar and pepper-coated strawberry.

Makes 1 drink.

print recipe