Basil Gimlet

So what's a girl to do when she purchased a giant bunch of fresh basil at the grocery store for $2.50 and wants to use it up while its still fresh?!?

Make a caprese salad, whip up a batch of pesto.... and get her cocktail on!
 Gimlet con basil

Yup! That's basil. In my drink. And it was SOOOO FREAKING GOOD!!! I've had sage in drinks before and I absolutely love it. Something about the savory quality of the herb goes really well with alcohol. But prior to this weekend I'd never had basil in a cocktail before. HOLY COW! There's really not much more I can say. It was amazing, and way, way better than mint.

Would you believe it if I told you that I'm not even a huge basil fanatic?? Don't get me wrong, I like it a lot, but the flavor is a bit potent for me sometimes. So I probably enjoy it less than a lot of people out there. Which is why I was even more shocked with just how much I loved this cocktail. But there's something about pairing the basil with lime and a touch of sugar that really just makes this drink shine.

I think I've just found my new summer-time cocktail!


So next time you've got a bunch of basil laying around, muddle it up, throw in some lime juice and some liquor, and get to drinking!

Yours in doing her best to never let food go to waste,
Jacqueline

Basil Gimlet, from Crepes of Wrath

So we made the drink with gin (for me) and vodka (for him). As much as I love me my Hendricks gin, I actually preferred it with the vodka as it had a slightly smoother and more mild flavor. Either way though, you can't go wrong!

Ingredients (per cocktail)

3 oz gin or vodka
1 oz lime juice (~1+ limes depending on how juicy they are)
1 oz simple syrup
7 basil leaves
additional lime and basil, for garnish

Directions
  1. First things first: chill your glass by filling a martini glass with some ice and water, and set aside while you make your cocktail. (Just toss once your cocktail is done for a super chilled glass.)
  2. Muddle your basil in the bottom of your shaker until its nice and bruised. (If you'd like, throw in your leftover lime and muddle away for a bit more flavor like we did.)
  3. Add the lime juice, simple syrup, and liquor. Fill with ice and shake for 30 seconds.
  4. Strain into your glass (or not, I kinda prefer it with little specks of lime and basil in there), and garnish with basil leaves and/or lime wedges.


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