Name: Milly Martini
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 6 fresh Basil leaves; 60 ml Gin; 45 ml Pineapple juice; 7.5 ml Sugar syrup (2:1); 2 dash Orange bitters

Milly Martini
Jump to

Serve in a Martini glass

Ingredients:
6 fresh	Basil leaves
2 oz	Hayman's London Dry Gin
1 ¹⁄₂ oz	Pineapple juice
¹⁄₄ oz	Monin Pure Cane Syrup (65.0°brix, equivalent to 2:1 rich syrup)
2 dash	Orange Bitters by Angostura

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

Select and pre-chill a Martini glass.
Prepare garnish of pineapple wedge or basil leaf.
Lightly MUDDLE basil (just to bruise) in base of shaker.
Add other ingredients and SHAKE with ice.
FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.
Garnish with pineapple wedge on rim &/or float basil leaf boat.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

Gin and pineapple with a pleasing hint of basil.

View readers' comments

Variant:

The Harlem

History:

Created in 2003 by Shelim Islam at the GE Club in London at the request of Kate Moss, the famous model. This cocktail was subsequently served (as the "Tanqueray Belle") for her 30th birthday party which Shelim describes as "an unforgettable evening, to say the least!"

More cocktails by Shelim Islam

More Anytime cocktails
More Fruity (e.g. Pornstar Martini) cocktails
More Summer cocktails

Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

Join the discussion

Showing 2 comments for Milly Martini.
See discussion in the Forum

Please log in to make a comment

Crystal Light

23rd February 2023 at 06:55

Tried the original recipe—too much pineapple, even though I used 1/4 less than called for. I dug around and found the Harlem cocktail is very similar, just without basil and simple, less pineapple, and adding maraschino liqueur. I kept the basil and loved this version… but still a BIT too sweet.

So I googled other variants of the Harlem and found the ‘Updated Harlem’ from NYT cooking, which adds lemon juice and angostura. Now THAT version (keeping the basil) gets a 4.5 to 5 stars from me!

2

reply

David Hoyle

21st February 2022 at 20:01

I thought, at first, that the basil leaf flavour had not come through - but it is there, subtly and magically, on the "finish" with a slight herbal tingle on the tongue. Used an available pineapple juice from local supermarket and Beefeater Gin (which is the house gin at my local cocktail bar). It's an unusual (for me) and compelling combination of flavours. With Rutte or other more herbally-forward gins, I am sure the overall effect is enhanced and intensified. A fantastic find!

3

reply

David Hoyle

19th March 2022 at 19:08

Update: now tried with Plymouth Gin which has brought out the basil flavour with greater immediacy - probably as is intended with the original recipe...

4

reply

See discussion in the Forum