Gin Basil Smash
Gin, lemon and a good handful of basil, shaken hard into a bright green sour.
- Time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Rocks glass
- Strength
- 2.4 UK units
How to make a Gin Basil Smash
- Bruise the basil. Put the basil leaves, lemon juice and syrup in the shaker and press them firmly with the end of a bar spoon, about 10 times. The leaves should look dark and smell strongly of basil.
- Add the gin and shake. Pour in the gin, fill the shaker with ice and shake hard for about 12 seconds, until the tin is frosty.
- Double strain over ice. Strain through a Hawthorne strainer and a fine strainer into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. The drink should be a vivid, cloudy green with no flecks.
- Garnish and serve. Slap the basil sprig between your palms to wake up the oils, then rest it on top.
- Glass
- Rocks glassNo rocks glass? Any short tumbler.
- Ice
- Ice cubes
- Garnish
- A sprig of basilOr: A single basil leaf on the surface.
What you need to make a Gin Basil Smash
Kit
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Cocktail shakerA two-piece Boston tin is the easiest to use and clean.
StrainerA Hawthorne strainer fits over the tin or glass.
Fine strainerA small tea strainer catches ice shards.
Citrus squeezerFresh juice makes the biggest difference of anything.
Bar spoonA long teaspoon does the job.
Bottles we'd use
- London dry ginA fairly crisp, juniper-led gin lets the basil stand out.Find it on Amazon
- Potted basilA supermarket pot is cheaper than a bag of cut leaves, and stays fresh on a windowsill.Find it on Amazon
Links to Amazon are affiliate links: if you buy through them, Bar Bandol may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The Gin Basil Smash story
Jörg Meyer created it at Le Lion bar in Hamburg in 2008, and it has since spread to bars around the world. It is a modern classic, built like a whisky smash but with gin and basil in place of mint.
Be generous with the basil, because most of the flavour comes from bruising the leaves in the shaker, then double straining so no scraps get into the glass. Taste the lemon and sugar balance before you strain, and adjust if it is too sharp.
Gin Basil Smash: your questions answered
What is in a Gin Basil Smash?
A Gin Basil Smash is made with 60 ml London dry gin, 25 ml fresh lemon juice, 15 ml sugar syrup and 12 fresh basil leaves. Garnish: a sprig of basil.
How strong is a Gin Basil Smash?
Made to this recipe, a Gin Basil Smash contains about 2.4 UK units of alcohol per drink. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve a Gin Basil Smash in?
Serve a Gin Basil Smash in a rocks glass over ice. No rocks glass? Any short tumbler.
