A gin basil smash is a refreshing summer cocktail made with just 4 simple ingredients! This gin-infused cocktail is perfect for summer and includes fresh basil, lime juice, simple syrup, and gin. This is a refreshing garden cocktail.
If you love garden cocktails made with fresh herbs, this drink is for you! You will love how easy this cocktail is to make. It has a fresh basil flavor that is perfect to serve in spring and summer.
3 Reasons why you’ll love this cocktail
1. It is easy to make with just 4 ingredients.
2. A gin basil smash looks beautiful and will impress your friends!
3. The combination of gin and basil makes a fresh, botanical herb cocktail.
How to Make a Basil Gin Smash
We’ll cover everything you need to know to make this cocktail, share tips and answer questions. If you prefer to jump to the recipe you can find it at the bottom of the post.
Supplies
- Cocktail Shaker
- Cocktail Jigger
- Muddler
- Old Fashioned Glass or any small Cocktail Glass
Ingredient Notes
Basil – Use fresh basil to make this drink. You can find this at any grocery store or grow it yourself if you have an herb garden! Save extra basil to garnish the cocktail.
Gin – You can use a gin of your choosing. We recommend using gin with citrus notes to bring out the lime juice and basil flavors.
Lime Juice – Freshly squeezed lime juice is best for this gin basil smash. You can also use fresh lemon juice for this recipe.
Simple Syrup – Simple syrup balances out the gin and lime juice in this cocktail. It’s very easy to make, as it’s just equal parts sugar and water simmered.
Follow our simple syrup guide for more details.
How to Muddle Basil
Muddling is a technique used to mash and mix ingredients together. It helps release the flavors and aromas of herbs, fruits, spices, and more. A muddler is a tool used to help mash and mix the ingredients together. It’s similar to a pestle and mortar, but has a longer handle, flat end and lighter in texture.
Muddling the basil is an important step in this gin basil smash recipe. Place a few fresh basil leaves into your cocktail shaker to muddle.
Use a muddler to press and twist the basil leaves to release their flavor and oils. You can do this with lime juice if you need a little liquid to muddle. Once you have released the flavors, you can add the rest of the ingredients.
Shaking a Cocktail
Shaking a gin basil smash is easy! Pour the ingredients into a shaker. Add ice, close the shaker, and shake vigorously for about 20 seconds.
It’s important to shake for 20 seconds so the water can dilute and mix the ingredients creating a well-balanced cocktail.
Recipe Variations
You can play around with this gin basil smash recipe to make it your own. Here are a few variations you can try:
- Add some cucumber for a refreshing twist.
- Swap gin for vodka or rum.
- Use honey simple syrup instead of simple syrup.
- Use Empress purple gin to give it a fun color twist.
- Add a little club soda if the drink is too strong.
- Muddle fresh strawberries with the basil for a strawberry basil gin smash.
The Best Gin for a Smash
We love a good botanical gin for this recipe. Here are a few of our favorite gin brands that are perfect for this cocktail:
- Hendrick’s Gin
- Gray Whale
- The Botanist Gin
- St George Botanivore Gin
- Bombay Sapphire
- Monkey 47
When to Serve This Cocktail
Serve this gin basil smash at your next summer gathering, backyard BBQ, or sunny day patio party. Here are some special occasions you can serve this drink:
More Gin Cocktail Recipes You’ll Love
If you love gin cocktails, check out these recipes:
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Basil Gin Smash
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- 1 ounce lime juice
- 1 ounce simple syrup
- 8 leaves basil , fresh
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle the basil and lime juice.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and ice.
- Shake for 20 seconds.
- Strain into a cocktail glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with a lime wheel and fresh basil.
Notes
Nutrition
