Gin Basil Smash Cocktail Recipe
A whole handful of basil muddled into gin and lemon — bright green, grassy and deeply refreshing.
- Category: New Era Drinks
- Glass: Old fashioned glass
- ABV: 20%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~3 min
Ingredients
- Gin60 ml (2 oz)
- Fresh lemon juice20 ml (0.7 oz)
- Simple syrup15 ml (0.5 oz)
- Fresh basil leaves10 piece
How to Make It
- Muddle the basil leaves with the lemon juice and syrup in a shaker.
- Add the gin and ice, then shake hard.
- Double-strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with a basil sprig.
Garnish
Basil sprig
What it tastes like
It smells of lemon and lime peel, it has a green, botanical backdrop and it drinks cool and easy.
The technique
Shaking. Anything with juice, syrup, egg white or cream gets shaken: the shaker chills the drink and adds roughly 20% water, and that water is what takes the edge off. Twelve to fifteen seconds, until the tin frosts over. Under-shaking leaves the drink harsh because it never got enough dilution.
Glass and ice
A heavy-bottomed, wide old fashioned glass. Wide enough for one large cube, which is the point: a big cube has less surface area, so the drink gets cold without getting watery.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Gin
- London dry gin: juniper up front, citrus and coriander behind it. Brand really does show here — Beefeater is sharp, Hendrick's floral, Tanqueray juniper-heavy.
- Fresh lemon juice
- Freshly squeezed lemon; one lemon gives 30-40 ml. It can swap with lime, but lemon is softer and less aromatic, so use a touch more.
- Simple syrup
- One part sugar to one part water, stirred until it dissolves — no need to boil it. Keeps a month in the fridge. No syrup? Use the same amount of honey, loosened with a little water.
The Story
Made by Jörg Meyer at Le Lion in Hamburg in 2008. It spread across Europe within a year, which is fast for a drink with no marketing behind it.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Gin Basil Smash mixed?
- It is shaken and served in an old fashioned glass.
- How strong is a Gin Basil Smash?
- Roughly 20% ABV as served — in fortified-wine territory — plan it as a single drink.
- Can a Gin Basil Smash be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a Gin Basil Smash hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
759 recipes in your pocket
Cocktails and mocktails from 55 countries — ingredients, steps and the story behind each drink. Works offline too.
Similar recipes
Collections
Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.