Gin Basil Smash

Crush 2/3 of the fresh basil leaves in the shaker.

Squeeze 1 OZ (30 ml) of lemon juice, using the manual juicer, directly into the jigger (to check the exact amount) and pour it into the shaker.

Measure 3/4 OZ (22.5 ml) of cane sugar syrup with the jigger and pour into the shaker.

Dose 1 1/2 OZ (45ml) of London dry gin with the jigger and pour into the shaker.

Add ice to the shaker.

Close the shaker and shake vigorously until the outer metal becomes very cold to the touch.

Add a large ice cube to your chosen glass.

Open the shaker and pour the cocktail while filtering it with a colander (double strain), the double filtering is done to prevent ice flakes from ending up inside the glass.

Garnish the glass with fresh basil leaves. The cocktail is ready to be served.

History

Gin Basil Smash has a rather recent history. In 2008 Jorg Meyer bartender of Le Lion Bar de Paris in Hamburg, created this cocktail initially calling it 'Gin Pesto'.

The inspiration for a herbal cocktail seems to have come a year earlier, during a trip to New York where Meyer tasted a cocktail with mint, then flipped through a French gin recipe book, where he saw a decoration with basil, and the rest is history.

Curiosity

This cocktail is a superhero drink, which saves you from the heat of summer. It achieved great success very quickly, enough to deserve the Best New Cocktail award at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award 2008.