This basil cocktail is an adventurous gin sour. Made with lime juice and Green Chartreuse, this gin cocktail with basil is zesty, herbaceous, smooth and downright delicious.
If colourful cocktails are your thing take a look at my violet daiquiri cocktail.
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Why I Love This Basil Cocktail
- Stunning: I'm sure you'll agree that this bold green basil cocktail is particularly eye-catching. The creamy egg white foam also enhances the look of the drink significantly too.
- Texture: Including egg white transforms the texture of this basil cocktail splendidly.
- Unique flavour: Fresh basil and herbal liqueur work wonders to create an out-of-the-ordinary tasting gin sour.
Jump to:
I love exploring classic cocktails and coming up with a modern & fresh take on them. That's exactly how this basil cocktail came about. This vibrant, fruity, herbal and semi-dry gin and basil cocktail is what happened when I took the classic Spring Feeling drink and started thinking of ways that I could push this Green Chartreuse drink a little further.
Ingredients Notes
Gin: Use Plymouth gin for this basil sour. Slightly less dry than London dry gin typically is, the flavour is gorgeously smooth. Plymouth gin has earthy notes (due to a higher than usual proportion of root ingredients) as well as a softer juniper hit. It's perfect for this herby cocktail.
Green Chartreuse: Use it if you have it as it adds extra depth of flavour to your basil cocktail. However, it can be hard to come by and it is expensive (expect to pay around £50 for a bottle) so if you don't have it, you can still enjoy this drink without it (just add a little extra simple syrup).
Basil: You will need fresh basil to make this drink. Dried or frozen basil are not suitable alternatives.
Egg white: There are 2 ways to serve my basil gin cocktail - with or without an egg white foam, so this is optional. Adding egg white to shaken cocktails gives the drink a rich, creamy texture and a beautiful presentation with a delicate foamy cap. In addition, egg whites help to temper acidity and bind flavours together without altering the flavour of the drink (egg whites are virtually odourless and tasteless).
Ingredient Substitution
Anybody seeking a vegan alternative to the egg white to create the lovely creamy top on this gin basil sour should use 30ml aquafaba in place of the egg white.
Note: Green chartreuse is vegan - it's only yellow chartreuse that is made with honey.
How To Make A Fresh Basil Cocktail (Step-By-Step Instructions)
- Step 1: Pour the Plymouth Gin, lime juice Green Chartreuse into a cocktail jug. Add the basil leaves and use a stick blender to pulse the leaves for 3 quick bursts (1 second each time).
- Step 2: Strain the liquid through a fine-meshed sieve, squeezing out the liquid with the back of a small spoon.
- If making with egg whites: Add the egg white and sugar syrup to the cocktail shaker.
If making without egg white: Add the sugar syrup, skip step 4 and go to step 5 instead.
- Secure the lid of the cocktail shaker and shake hard for 30 seconds to build up the egg white foam (this is the dry shake).
- Step 5: Add ice to the cocktail shaker and shake for 30 seconds.
- Step 6: Strain into a cocktail glass.
Expert Tips
- If you don't own a cocktail shaker, don't despair, it's still easy to make this basil cocktail. Just find a large sturdy jar with a screw-top lid to use instead.
- If you don't have a stick blender, chop the basil leaves finely, add to the liquid and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Muddle with a cocktail stick (or the end of a rolling pin, then proceed to strain through a sieve.
- Don't skip the straining of the basil gin: There is far too much basil leaf in the drink for it to be a pleasant sip unless it's strained.
- I'm happy to use a regular fine-meshed sieve for this part. But for ultimate clarity and smoothness, use a nut bag to strain the drink if you have one.
- Like most cocktails, and particularly due to the fresh ingredients involved in this basil cocktail, it is best consumed straight away.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make the basil gin slightly ahead of time but it is best consumed on the day otherwise the basil will take on a bitter edge. It is also essential to shake the cocktail with egg white and ice just before serving.
Yes, you can. It will will be slightly less sweet so you may want to add in an extra 5ml of simple syrup to account for this.
More Gin Cocktails
Have you made this basil gin cocktail? Please rate the recipe or leave a comment - I love hearing how you get along with my creations.
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📖 Recipe
Basil Cocktail (herby, citrusy, smooth gin sour)
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker
- Hawthorn strainer
- Fine-meshed sieve
- Jug
Ingredients
For the Basil Cocktail
- 40 ml Plymouth Gin
- 20 ml Lime Juice
- 10 ml Green Chartreuse
- 10 Basil leaves fresh
- 10 ml Sugar syrup
- 1 Egg white from a small egg
Instructions
For the Basil Cocktail
- Pour the gin, Chartreuse and lime juice into a cocktail jug.
- Add the basil leaves and, using a stick blender, pulse 3-4 times (1 second each pulse) to break down the basil.
- Strain through a fine-meshed sieve into a cocktail shaker - push down gently on the leaves with the back of a spoon or a cocktail muddler to extract any lingering liquid.
- Add the simple syrup and egg white (if using).
- If using egg-white: attach the lid to the shaker and dry-shake (without ice) for 30 seconds. Add a handful of ice then shake for another 30 seconds.
- If not using egg-white: simply add a handful of ice to the shaker, secure the lid then shake for 30 seconds.
- Once shaken strain the drink into a cocktail glass and garnish with lime zest & a fresh basil leaf
Notes
- If you don't own a cocktail shaker, don't despair, it's still easy to make this basil cocktail. Just find a large sturdy jar with a screw-top lid to use instead.
- If you don't have a stick blender, chop the basil leaves finely, add to the liquid and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Muddle with a cocktail stick (or the end of a rolling pin, then proceed to strain through a sieve.
- Don't skip the straining of the basil gin: There is far too much basil leaf in the drink for it to be a pleasant sip unless it's strained.
- I'm happy to use a regular fine-meshed sieve for this part. But for ultimate clarity and smoothness, use a nut bag to strain the drink if you have one.
- Like most cocktails, and particularly due to the fresh ingredients involved in this basil cocktail, it is best consumed straight away.
Jill says
This cocktail looks gorgeous; can't wait to try it! But how do you get such perfect lemon/lime twists for your garnish?!
Jane Saunders says
Thanks Jill - it's a lovely drink. As for those curls, I used a zester like this one (affiliate amazon link) https://amzn.to/3L7uUCA then wrapped the strip of peel around a cocktail stick.
Elizabeth@pineconesandacorns says
I cannot wait to make this!
Jane Saunders says
Hope you enjoy it when you do. It's lovely for spring.
Michelle says
Absolutely loving your twist - gotta try this as soon as I have some gin!