by Laura Falin posted in Life

It's spring and I want to drink all the fruity things!
Winter is for heavy, warm drinks, full of cream and chocolate and coffee. But spring" Spring is for fruit and herbs and juicy goodness. Like this:

Yassss! Strawberries and limes and basil (and tequila!), oh my.
This is the perfect drink for showers -- bridal and baby -- or Mother's Day, or just to unwind of an afternoon. And if you are mixing up a batch for a baby shower, read on for a mocktail version for the mama-to-be. It's bad enough that she's about to enter summer without being able to drink. Help her out here.
Also" A cocktail-making friend of mine shared a great tip with me that has seriously upped my margarita game. Instead of rimming the glass with salt, rim it with a mixture of salt and sugar. That mix of sweet and salty just works so well with margaritas. Strawberry Basil Margarita:
Ingredients (for two drinks):

5 strawberries
5 large basil leaves
2 1/4 oz (a shot and a half) tequila
3 oz (2 shots) sweetened lime juice or limeade
1 1/2 oz (1 shot) triple sec
3 tsp sea salt
3 tsp sugar
ice

Instructions:
Mix salt and sugar in a small bowl and pour onto a shallow saucer. Rim two margarita or old fashioned (lowball) glasses with lime and turn glasses upside down onto saucer to coat with the salt/sugar mixture. Set glasses aside.
Slice 5 strawberries into a cocktail shaker. Add basil leaves and muddle (in bartender-speak, this means "smash the crap out of them&...