One of the more glorious aspects of a really good gin is it's lifted, herbaceous aromatics. You can take that even further when you start getting into a cocktail framework - and one of the best examples is the Gin Basil Smash. Invented only 2008 by Jörg Meyer at the Le Lion Bar de Paris in Hamburg - originally called the Gin Pesto funnily enough - and after blogging about it, it was picked up by bartenders all around the world and gained a good level of notoriety. A cocktail for the internet age
It's not hard to see why, as the recipe is as simple as simple gets, and even reading it on a screen will have you salivating. However, Jörg has some key guidelines for making your Gin Basil Smash the best it can be.
Firstly: "Better too much, than not enough basil in this drink"
Secondly, on the amount of gin you should be using: "50ml is not enough, 60ml is the recipe, 70ml is LOVE".
We concur. A contemporary classic that is one of the benchmarks of modern cocktails. In house tip preference? Serve over crushed ice and add a small pinch of salt while shaking.
the gin basil smash
60ml australian gin
12 basil leaves
22.5ml lemon juice
10ml simple syrup
muddle basil at the base of a cocktail shaker, add all other ingredients and plenty of ice and shake. double strain into a chilled rocks glass filled with ice.
