Cocktail recipe
Gin Basil Smash
An intensely green gin sour, fresh as crushed leaves after rain.
Ingredients
- 60 ml (2 oz) London dry gin
- 25 ml (⅚ oz) fresh lemon juice
- 20 ml (⅔ oz) simple syrup (1:1)
- 10 large fresh basil leaves
- Garnish: 1 small basil sprig
Preparation
Clap the basil to wake its fragrance, then press gently in the shaker. Add gin, lemon and syrup; shake vigorously with ice until the liquid turns fragrant and pale green. Double-strain over fresh cubes and tuck a basil sprig beside the rim.
Glassware
Rocks glass with cubed ice
History
Jörg Meyer created the Gin Basil Smash at Le Lion in Hamburg in 2008. Early accounts describe the working name Gin Pesto, a nod to its unusually generous basil. Its rapid spread through bartender networks helped establish the herb-driven modern sour as a contemporary classic.
Mixology View
Basil must be fresh and abundant, but shredded stems and over-muddling introduce bitterness. Our house presentation uses rocks service rather than claiming one universally original glass.