This Gin Basil Smash is a super light, refreshing, and herbaceous cocktail that’s perfect for sipping on a nice day. Mix gin, lime juice, Cointreau, and simple syrup – along with some fresh basil leaves – and this drink will be blooming with flavor! This gin basil cocktail will make you feel like you’re sitting on a hotel patio in the sunshine!
Why You’ll Love This Gin Basil Smash Cocktail
Do you have a basil plant? If not, you’re going to want to get some ASAP. You could buy some fresh basil from the grocery store, of course, but you’re going to want to drink this gin basil smash all summer – you might as well invest in a plant!
The flavors in this delicious cocktail are bright, sweet, herbal, and a little citrusy. It’s such an easy one to make, and you can control how strong the basil flavor is by the amount of tearing or muddling you do to the leaves.
If you want a stronger flavor, just use a few more leaves and muddle them up nice and good. If you want your basil cocktail to be a little lighter on flavor, use fewer basil leaves and just tear them up to activate the leaf’s oils.
What’s the History of The Gin Basil Smash?
This herb-heavy cocktail was the brainchild of Jörg Meyer of Hamburg, Germany in 2008. The popularity of the beverage spread like wildfire and it wound up getting recognized in the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards that same year.
The gin smash was created as a spin-off of the whiskey smash which consists of whiskey, lemon, mint, and sugar.
Gin Basil Cocktail Ingredients
The backbone of a gin basil smash is the gin, basil, and citrus (whether it’s lemon or lime). In this recipe, I use lime because I think it compliments the basil flavor better. I also added a smidge of Cointreau for an additional dash of citrus. It brightens the cocktail and makes it the perfect drink for a sunny day!
- Lime – juiced
- Basil – torn
- Gin
- Cointreau
- Simple Syrup
How to Make a Good Gin Basil Smash
Step 1: Combine + Shake
Fill your cocktail shaker with ice and add the lime juice, basil leaves, gin, Cointreau, and simple syrup. Shake the ingredients together for 15-20 seconds, until the container is very cold.
Step 2: Strain
Strain the drink into a coupe glass and garnish with a fresh basil leaf. Enjoy!
FAQs
What is gin basil made of?
Gin basil is simply gin infused with the flavors of basil. However, gin basil is not the same thing as a gin basil smash. A smash is a cocktail that includes gin, basil, and lime.
What’s the best gin for a gin basil smash?
You can use any kind of gin to make a basil smash, but I recommend picking a mid-priced gin so that it’s good sipping quality. I would also be mindful of flavored gin because you don’t want anything to compete with the flavor of the basil.
Serving Suggestions
This is the perfect cocktail for entertaining – especially on a bright and sunny day! Here are some ideas for what dishes you can serve your guests alongside their herbaceous beverage.
- Apps: While you’re sipping your smash, enjoy a garlic and basil white cannoli bean dip or some goat cheese bruschetta!
- For the main dish, go light with a summer cobb salad or a fresh Mediterranean salmon. If you’re in the mood for a true summery dish, try this vegan pasta salad.
- Dessert is arguably the most important part of the day, except for your gin smash, of course. Enjoy a peach upside down cake, a strawberry dump cake, or these 4 ingredient peanut butter cookies that take only minutes to whip up!
More Gin and Basil Based Drinks You’ll Love
- Strawberry Gin Mojito
- Strawberry Basil Lemonade
- Basil Infused Tequila Lemonade
- Raspberry Martini
- Negroni Spritz
If you make this Gin Basil Smash, be sure to tag me on Pinterest and Instagram!
I seriously love seeing what you guys are making and sharing your creations with the College Housewife community!
Gin Basil Smash
ingredients
- 1 lime juiced
- 4 fresh basil leaves torn
- 2 oz gin
- 1 oz Cointreau
- 1 tsp simple syrup
instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add lime juice, basil leaves, gin, cointreau and simple syrup. Shake together for 15-20 seconds or until the container is very cold.
- Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a fresh basil leaf.
notes
join elizabeth on the rocks
Join our newsletter to chat about all things food, cocktails, home decor, and more!