Gin Basil Smash
Green, bright, fragrant.
Gin, lemon, sugar and plenty of basil shaken hard into a vivid green drink. A herbal, direct sour that became a modern classic within a few years.
- IBA · New Era
- Aperitif
- Shaken
- Glass
- Cocktail glass
- Method
- Shaken
- Strength
- Medium
- Time
- 3 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Ice
- No ice
Ingredients
Measures for 1 serving
-
Gin
60 ml
-
Lemon juice
22.5 ml
-
Simple syrup
22.5 ml
-
Basil leaves
10 leaves
Proportions
How to make
- Chill a cocktail glass.
- Pour the gin into a shaker.
- Pour the lemon juice.
- Pour the sugar syrup.
- Add the basil leaves.
- Fill the shaker with ice.
- Shake vigorously.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
The story
Origins
DocumentedOrigin attested by written sources of the time.
The Gin Basil Smash is one of the few modern classics with a precise birth date. Jörg Meyer created it at his bar Le Lion • Bar de Paris in Hamburg in 2008: the first version, initially served as the Gin Pesto, came after Meyer had tasted Dale DeGroff's Whiskey Smash at Pegu Club in New York. On 10 July 2008 Meyer published the recipe on an industry blog under its final name, the day he himself considers the drink's true birthday. From there it spread quickly to bars around the world; Le Lion still sells hundreds every week and calls itself its cradle on the façade.
Taste profile
- Herbal
- 5 out of 5
- Fresh
- 4 out of 5
- Citrus
- 3 out of 5
- Sour
- 3 out of 5