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 I'm presenting here 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 cocktail 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 undeniably smooth. Plymouth gin has a higher than usual proportion of root ingredients which imparts a more earthy feel to the gin 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. 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)
- Pour the Plymouth Gin, lime juice Green Chartreuse into a cocktail jug
- Add basil leaves and use a stick blender to pulse the leaves for 3 quick bursts (1 second each time)
- Strain the liquid through a fine-meshed sieve, squeezing out the liquid with the back of a small spoon
- If making without egg whites: add ice to the cocktail shaker, pour in the liquid and add sugar syrup. Shake for 30 seconds and strain into a cocktail glass
- If making with egg whites: put the liquid, sugar syrup and egg white into the cocktail shaker without the ice. Shake hard for 30 seconds, then add ice and shake for a further 30 seconds before straining into a cocktail glass
Either version of this basil cocktail looks wonderful served with a twist of lime and a fresh basil leaf. And they are great entry-level Green Chartreuse cocktails.
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 - like in my photos
- 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
More Gin Cocktails
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📖 Recipe
Basil Cocktail & Spring Feeling Cocktail
Ingredients
For the Classic Spring Feeling
- 80 ml Plymouth Gin
- 40 ml Green Chartreuse
- 40 ml Lemon juice fresh
For the Basil Cocktail
- 80 ml Plymouth Gin
- 40 ml Lime Juice
- 20 ml Green Chartreuse
- 20 Basil leaves fresh
- 20 ml Sugar syrup
- 1 Egg white
Instructions
For the Spring Feeling
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice
- Pour the gin, Chartreuse and lemon juice in
- Secure the lid and shake hard for 30 seconds
- Strain into 2 cocktail glasses, garnish with lemon zest & serve
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 times (1 second each pulse) to break down the basil
- Strain into a clean jug - push down gently on the leaves with the back of a small spoon to extract any lingering liquid
- Put the green liquid into the base of a cocktail shaker and add the sugar cane syrup
- 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 2 cocktail glasses and garnish with lime zest & a fresh basil leaf
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!