Gin Basil Smash
A fresh, green drink of muddled basil, lemon and gin in a fine sweet-tart balance.
Ingredients
- Gin60 ml
- Lemon juice, freshly squeezed22.5 ml
- Basil10 leaves
- Simple syrup (1 part Sugar, 1 part Water)22.5 ml
- Basil, for garnish (optional)1 sprig
Method
- Place the fresh basil leaves in the bottom of a shaker.
- Press the leaves gently with a muddler to release their oils without tearing them apart.
- Add the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup.
- Fill the shaker with ice and shake hard for about 15 seconds, until ice-cold outside.
- Double strain through both a Hawthorne and fine-mesh strainer into a glass with fresh ice.
- Garnish with a large sprig of basil, lightly slapped between your hands to wake its aroma.
Jörg Meyer, Le Lion, Hamburg
About this drink
Jörg Meyer invented the Gin Basil Smash in 2008 at his Hamburg bar Le Lion, originally as a quick answer to a guest asking for something fresh and green. The drink spread rapidly through bartender networks and blogs and is now one of the most sought-after modern classics worldwide. Its strength lies in the simple idea: let basil, lemon and gin do all the work.
Questions and answers
Why is a Gin Basil Smash double strained?
Basil leaves leave small pieces in the drink that a single strainer does not catch. The extra fine-mesh strainer ensures a completely clean green drink without plant fragments.
How hard should you muddle the basil?
Enough to release the oils, but without tearing the leaves into tiny pieces. Too much pressure makes the drink bitter rather than fresh and herbaceous.
