Gin Basil Smash Cocktail Recipe: How to Make a Gin Basil Smash

The Gin Basil Smash cocktail is a gin-based cocktail that features basil as the main character. The basil can be replaced with different herbs to be muddled in with the gin smash if another herb is preferable. However, the Gin Basil Smash cocktail recipe is one of the most popular. It is perfect to serve at a garden or outdoor party as the herbs create a natural connection with nature.

The young history of the Gin Basil Smash cocktail began in the year 2008 when Jörg Meyer, a bartender in Hamburg, Germany, crafted it for the first time. The Gin Basil Smash went on to win the 2008 Cocktail Spirited Awards and became a massive hit in the cocktail world. The original name Jörg Meyer gave to the Gin Basil Smash was “Gin-Pesto”, but this name was changed over time as the drink’s popularity grew. The Gin Basil Smash cocktail tastes like a refreshing fusion of mint and citrus. It is best recommended for someone who likes a drink with a sweet punch and herbal vibe.

What are the ingredients for a Gin Basil Smash?

Below are the ingredients for a Gin Basil Smash.

• Basil leaves: Basil is an herbal plant with tender leaves that are mostly used in cuisine and also make up the main ingredient in pesto.
• Gin: Gin is a grain-based distilled liquor that is flavoured with botanicals; the most common flavour is the juniper berry.
• Lemon Juice: Lemon juice is the liquid that is produced from a freshly squeezed lemon. It's sweet, acidic, and simply fresh.
• Sugar syrup: Sugar syrup is a liquid form of sugar that is commonly known as caramel; this syrup is combined with balanced water to prevent it from returning to its solid form.

1. 8-12 Basil Leaves

Basil leaves are the most important ingredient for this cocktail recipe as they provide its central flavour. The leaves produce a bitter minty flavour that jive well with the gin and lemon juice. While basil is mostly used in cuisine, it is also a great ingredient for many cocktail recipes.

2. 60ml Gin

One of the major ingredients in the Gin Basil Smash cocktail is gin. It has a strong citrus smell and a pine-like flavour that packs a powerful punch into the drink. It contains around 40% alcohol by volume and 149 calories. The best gin for this recipe is London Dry Gin.

3. 30ml Fresh Lemon Juice

One of the ingredients that adds the citrusy sour taste to the Gin Basil cocktail drink is fresh lemon juice. The lemon's sweetness contrasts with the gin’s bitterness, and the acidity gives the gin more flavour depth. Fresh lemon juice with a volume of 30ml has 6 calories.

4. 15ml Sugar Syrup

In order to make the Gin Basil Smash cocktail drink, sugar syrup is essential. This will provide sweetness to the cocktail, which will balance out the sharpness of the gin for a more refreshing drink. Sugar syrup typically has a calorie count of 93.

How to make a Gin Basil Smash?

Preparing a Gin Basil Smash has never been easier thanks to this recipe, so don't miss it and make the most out of your cocktail!

• Add all the ingredients into a shaker and shake.
• Fine strain into a rocks glass over ice.
• Garnish with a single basil leaf.

1. Add all the ingredients into a shaker and shake.

Gather and put all the needed ingredients in the shaker. Place the ice first, then the lemon juice and muddled basil leaf, and then add the sugar syrup and shake. This process is essential because it enables all the ingredients to be properly mixed and chilled at the same time.

2. Fine strain into a rocks glass over ice.

Pour the strained drink mix into the prepared medium-sized rocks glass with fresh ice. Straining will separate any unwanted substances that could have appeared during mixing, especially the muddled basil.

3. Garnish with a single basil leaf.

To finish it off, garnish the Gin Basil Smash with at least 1 basil leaf by dipping it slightly or completely soaking it. This gives a nice aesthetic appearance to the drink and later adds to its overall flavour.

What nutritional benefit can you get from drinking a Gin Basil Smash?

There are no nutritional benefits from drinking a Gin Smash cocktail. It has an alcohol content of 22.49% by volume and 166 calories.

What are the different variations of Gin Basil Smash?

There are multiple variations of the classic Gin Basil Smash Cocktail drink, including Blueberry Gin Basil Smash, Appletini, Gin Basil Smash Martini, and Raspberry Gin Basil Smash. To variate a classic Gin Basil Smash Cocktail drink, the bartender should change some ingredients. The procedure of making the variation of the Gin Basil Smash cocktail is just the same as making the classic one. But instead of using basil, a bartender can use tarragon or cilantro, to alter the drink’s theme and flavour. Some similar cocktails to the classic Gin Basil Smash cocktail are Carolina Blues, Strawberry Gin Smash, Bittersweet Symphony and English Garden cocktail.