We have an abnormal hot weather here in Moscow. No rains, dust, burning hot stone. Absolutely no intention to do anything. Cocktails I drink now are extremely simple.

But there was one exception when I have been told to use some basil we gathered at our garden. Gin Basil Smash, a cocktail I saw at  Gin, Not Vodka was so interesting, and I’ve summoned all my strength to do it.

By the way, Daniel Nadasi in his article about Gin Basil Smash mentioned that Jay Oh Gosh! Earlier wrote about it too. And Jay mentioned that Gin Basil Smash has been invented at Le Lion Bar in Hamburg, the place which Daniel Nadasi visited before writing that article (and the place that article was about).

The recipe is beautiful, simple and promising. I have no gins recommended so three worldwide brands are used, and here Gordon’s was a little bit better than Bombay Sapphire and Beefeater. Also I used two types of basil: green with lemon aroma and spicy red.

Gin Basil Smash

This cocktail has great nose of lemon zest, gin botanicals with basil on the background.

It starts with sweet and sour taste and has strong basil flavour, fresh and a little bitter. A second later lemon zest become more recognizable, and herbal aroma starts to create very pleasant combination with sweet lemony flavour.

Gin Basil Smash is one of that drinks with wavy character. It’s a little sweet on the palate, spicy on the swallow, bitter in aftertaste, then sweet and sour again and finally dry in finish. Awesome variability!

When using red basil, I have glamour appearance – pink with violet undertone. The taste was more piquant and sweeter. It was warmer drink with different aroma, not as refreshing as with green basil but definitely with richer bouquet.

I think it will be great being mixed with tequila but such experiments are not for me now. Too hot… Maybe later.