Vodka or Gin or Tequila
Sweet Basil Drink Ingredients
- fresh basil leaves – the fresher, the better! You will need about 10 medium basil leaves to muddle into each basil vodka cocktail. Pluck a few extra leaves for garnish, too.
- sugar – regular white, granulated sugar is what we use to muddle the basil and sweeten the basil smash cocktail. We suggest 2 teaspoons of sugar in each cocktail, but if you prefer a less sweet drink, you can start with 1 teaspoon and taste to see how you like it.
- lime – fresh lime juice will go into this basil cocktail recipe for tartness, and you can garnish the drink with rounds or wedges of lime, as well.
- vodka – we prefer a nicer vodka like Tito’s or Grey Goose for these cocktails with basil. We suggest 1-1/2 ounces of vodka per cocktail, but you can use 2 ounces if you’d like a stronger drink. Or substitute the vodka with Gin or Tequila.
- tonic water – this will top the basil drinks off with some nice carbonation, making it that much more refreshing. You can also use club soda or sparkling water, like San Pellegrino.
How to Mix
MUDDLE. In a cocktail shaker, combine the basil leaves and sugar. Muddle until the sugar dissolves and the basil breaks down completely. You’re aiming for a vibrant green, slightly soupy mix.
SHAKE IT UP. Add the vodka, lime juice, and a handful of ice to the shaker. Cover it up and give it a good shake (about 10 seconds).
SERVE. Fill a double old fashioned cocktail glass with fresh ice, and then strain the vodka mixture into the glass. Top the glass with tonic water. Garnish with basil and lime wheel and serve immediately.