Name: Basil Gimlet
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 6 fresh Basil leaves; 60 ml Gin; 22.5 ml Lime cordial; 15 ml Lime juice; 5 ml Sugar syrup 'rich' (2:1)

Ingredients

6 fresh

Basil leaves

2 fl oz

Hayman's London Dry Gin

3/4 fl oz

Lime cordial (sweetened lime juice)

1/2 fl oz

Lime juice (freshly squeezed)

1/6 fl oz

Sugar syrup 'rich' (2 sugar to 1 water) 65.0°Brix

How to make

Glass

Prepare

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.

Prepare garnish of lime zest twist and basil leaf.

Method

MUDDLE basil leaves (with stems) in base of shaker.

Add other ingredients and SHAKE with ice.

FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

Express lime zest twist over cocktail and discard.

Garnish with a basil leaf boat floated on surface.

Health & Nutrition

Alcohol content:

We don't have enough information to calculate the alc./vol., but based on known ingredients, this recipe contains at least:

19.5 grams of pure alcohol

History

Greg Lindgren is credited with creating the basil-infused riff on the classic Gimlet in 2006 at Rye in San Francisco, but this recipe is adapted from the Basil Gimlet we discovered the same year at Stella in Boston, USA. This recipe combines fresh lime and lime cordial (part of a Gimlet's DNA) while Greg's used fresh lime juice and simple syrup.

Comments & Discussion

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Bocman 43w

So it’s gimlet with added basil leaves 🧢
It’s good 👍

Andrew Bennett Premium Member 1y

I prefer this lime based drink to the lemon based Basil Smash. I also make it without the cordial, so I tend to call it a smash rather than a gimlet, but the key difference is that it is better with lime.

Florian Ruf Premium Member 1y

Today I tried to add a dash of Chartreuse Elixir. We liked the result very much, the cocktail gets a bit more depth and the basil is not overpowered.

Wayne Dorothy 1y

Really tasty and tart. Always a favorite when basil is growing!

Johan Nylin 1y

We had this one before eating the beef filet pasta. Superb version of the Gimlet.

Florian Ruf Premium Member 2y

One of our to-go-cocktails, delicious!

Florian Ruf Premium Member 21w

Not one of: THE

Shannon Burns 4y

While on a quest to find the PERFECT Basil Gimlet recipe, I conducted a couple of side-by-side experiments to find the one that yields a beautifully balanced cocktail. This is it. I recommend following it to the letter, with the one exception being adding more basil than called for. I tried this with Beefeater Lemon Ginger gin - non-starter, and again with Aviation, Nope! I'd stick with a London Dry.