Looking for a refreshing cocktail? This basil gin smash features the classic gin and tonic base, but with a refreshing basil twist.
What We Love About This Gin Basil Smash
- Not your average gin cocktail: This recipe is not like a gin and tonic. The fragrant basil brings out the subtle botanical flavors in the dry gin, making it truly unique and memorable.
- Customizable: This recipe allows you to tailor the sweetness, herbal intensity, and overall flavor profile to suit your individual preferences—perfect for hosting guests or simple, cozy nights at home.
- Simple, Everyday Ingredients: Oftentimes a gin-based cocktail will require a variety of ingredients, making it difficult to prepare on short notice. By contrast, this recipe is much simpler, only requiring a few ingredients.
Gin Basil Smash Ingredients
- Fresh Basil – The fresh basil adds a fragrant and earthy quality that complements the other components of this gin basil smash.
- Simple Syrup – Simple syrup serves as the main sweetener.
- Lemon Juice – Lemon juice adds a bright and citrusy acidity to this beverage.
- Dry Gin – Dry Gin is the alcohol base of this recipe, imparting subtle botanical and juniper notes.
How to Make Gin Basil Smash
- Combine the basil leaves, simple syrup, and lemon juice. Mix everything together in a shaker.
- Muddle the basil leaves. This will help extract all of that flavor in the basil.
- Add the gin and 1 cup of ice. Make sure the shaker isn’t too full.
- Shake vigorously. This will help mix all of the flavors together, including the muddled basil leaves.
- Transfer to a glass. Strain the mixture.
- Serve. Garnish with fresh basil or fresh lemon slices.
Make Ahead and Storing Instructions:
- To make ahead: Mix everything together, leaving out the gin and ice. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight to allow the flavors to infuse the simple syrup and lemon juice. Before serving, add the gin and ice to the container and shake well.
- To store: Pour the prepared gin basil smash into a sealed glass bottle. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours to maintain freshness.
Recipe Variations
- Add some fruit juice. Add a splash of fresh grapefruit or blood orange juice.
- Try this with flavored gin. Experiment with different types of gin, such as a floral or citrus-infused gin.
- Infuse with fresh fruit. Muddle seasonal fruits like strawberries, blackberries, or peaches along with the basil for a fruity twist.
- Replace the simple syrup. Use flavored sugar syrups to change up the flavor of this gin basil smash.
- Use lime juice. You can try using lime juice instead of lemon juice for a bit of a twist on the classic lemon-based recipe.
Gin Basil Smash
Looking for a refreshing cocktail? This basil gin smash features the classic gin and tonic base, but with a refreshing basil twist.
Ingredients
- 12 leaves fresh basil
- 1 tbsp simple syrup
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 ounces dry gin
- ice cubes
Instructions
- Add the basil leaves, simple syrup and lemon juice to a shaker.
- Use a muddler to crush the basil leaves.
- Add gin and 1 cup of ice.
- Shake vigorously for 15 seconds.
- Strain the mixture into ice filled glass.
- Garnish with fresh basil and serve.
Notes
- Choose a high quality dry gin with a balanced botanical profile.
- Fresh basil is essential to the fragrant and aromatic qualities in this recipe. Dried basil leaves would not work well.
- A gentle muddle is usually enough to release the basil’s essential oils without over-macerating and making the drink bitter.
- It’s best to muddle the basil per serving to maintain freshness.
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