When basil season finally arrives, this perfect summer highball is one of my favorite ways to use it. You start by muddling fresh basil leaves from the farmers’ market, and then add lime and pineapple juices, gin, and simple syrup, topped with lime sparkling water. The color is beautiful, and the fresh aromatics shine through.
Ingredients
1 ½ ounces gin
1 ounce lime juice
1 ounce pineapple juice
¾ ounce simple syrup
8 basil leaves
Top with lime sparkling water
Lime peel and edible flowers for garnish (optional)
Directions
Muddle basil leaves in a cocktail shaker.
Add gin, lime juice, pineapple juice, and simple syrup to the shaker with ice.
Shake to combine, and then strain over fresh ice into highball glass.
Top with lime sparkling water.
Garnish with lime peel and edible flowers, if using.
The Bitter Strawberry Spritz Recipe:
A riff on a spritz, this low-proof summer cocktail combines gin, Peychaud's bitters, soda water, and fresh strawberries. Learn how to make it with this recipe!
The Gin Kombucha Tea Punch Recipe:
With a mix of aromatic Early Grey tea and funky, fruity kombucha, this lightly-sparkling gin punch is a can't-miss crowd pleaser.
The Green New Deal Recipe:
Learn to make the Green New Deal, a cocktail available exclusively at Bricolage, a Vietnamese gastropub in Brooklyn, NYC.
Tanqueray Sevilla Orange Spritz:
With notes of orange and bright lemon, the Tanqueray Sevilla Spritz is the ideal start to a leisurely afternoon.
The Cadillac Swizz Recipe:
From Bibo Ergo Sum in Los Angeles comes this vibrantly colored cocktail featuring gin, mezcal, and fresh carrot and lime juices. Learn how to make it with this recipe.