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Gin Basil Smash
Jörg, the creator of this cocktail, says, "Better too much than not enough basil in this drink". He also specifies that the basil is muddled rather than...
Chris Lamb
3rd November 2023 at 23:51
Just back from a long night in Le Lion. They certainly don't skimp on the amount of basil (and they include the stalks), plus they also don't mess about when muddling - they really go to town on it. Wonderfully bright and fresh, A+ cocktail.
5th November 2023 at 11:36
Thanks, Chris. I've added a note re stem in the method above.
9th October 2023 at 23:01
Very good! The basil gives it a definite herbal scent and flavor. Don’t scrimp on the basil. If you love basil, you can’t make a mistake.
29th August 2023 at 18:54
My favorite.
19th August 2023 at 17:02
Spectacular drink and wonderfully accommodating of minor riffs. My basil plants are growing bushy and I collect the flower clusters each week to keep the leaves blooming. Those basil flower clusters are amazingly complex and rich and when combined with ginger simple syrup, fresh squeezed lemon juice, quality gin and ample ice it's quite tasty and satisfying. The template works with other herbs and with gins ranging from St George Terrior to Monkey 47. allowing for a lifetime of experiments!
11th August 2023 at 08:11
Really excellent. My version uses 50 ml gin and adds 15 ml of Chartreuse(green); lime instead of lemon. It brings depth and herbal complexity. Now, it's outstanding!
4th July 2023 at 00:27
Strong herbal bursts of flavours. The gin comes through strongly. Great for a warm afternoon. Very refreshing.
19th March 2023 at 00:53
I’ve batched this and it was quite successful. Simply pour over ice, shake, and serve over ice.
But my favorite is to top with seltzer. The spritz really stretches the flavors. And while this is a fabulous summer garden or beachside cocktail with its refreshing basil, lime and the virtually hidden gin, the seltzer makes this a drink you can sip on all day long.
But my favorite is to top with seltzer. The spritz really stretches the flavors. And while this is a fabulous summer garden or beachside cocktail with its refreshing basil, lime and the virtually hidden gin, the seltzer makes this a drink you can sip on all day long.
19th January 2024 at 00:11
Sip on it all day long sounds like a dangerous proposal. I like the way you think!
24th January 2023 at 23:17
I noticed on La Lion Menu that they used a Celery Gin, so I muddled a 1/4 stalk of Celery with the 12 Basil leaves as well. My wife and I both really like this drink. I want to try it with a Danish Akvavit instead of the Gin, I think that will be even better. Anyone try that?
25th January 2023 at 10:50
Rutte Celery Gin, the gin Le Lion use, is made with the leaves of a variety of celery (not celery stalks). It is actually very like a London dry gin so it's being called a Celery Gin caused some confusion. So much so that I believe it is now simply called Rutte Dutch Dry Gin.
25th January 2023 at 01:08
I did try it with Stockholm’s Bränneri Akvavit (I have no Danish Akvavit) instead of the Gin and it was even better than with the Gin. The Celery, Basil, and Aquavit work well together. I would have thought northern Germany (Hamburg) would have tried this already.