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Gin Basil Smash

Here’s the perfect summer cocktail for when herbs abound: the Gin Basil Smash! Use your basil plant for this refreshing and herbaceous drink.

Got basil? Love gin? Here’s the ideal drink for you: the Gin Basil Smash! This modern spin on the Whiskey Smash is light and herbaceous, pairing peppery basil with botanical gin. If there’s summer in a cocktail glass, this is it! We love drinking our herbs all season long, and this new addition to our summer cocktails perfectly captures that feeling of fresh cut grass between your toes and sticky melted popsicle fingers. (At least, we think so!)

What’s in a Gin Basil Smash?

The Gin Basil Smash is a cocktail made with gin, basil and fresh lemon juice, a riff on the popular Whiskey Smash. First published as a recipe in 1887, the Whiskey Smash pairs lemon, mint, sugar and crushed ice as a refreshing summer cocktail. Substitute in basil and gin, and you’ve got this drink.

This gin variation was invented in 2008 by a man named Jörg Meyer, owner of the Germany bar Bar Le Lion, who posted the recipe on his website. It became an international success and is now made around the world. (Read more about the origin story.) Here’s what you need to make a Gin Basil Smash:

Gin
Basil leaves
Lemon juice
Simple syrup

How to muddle basil

The best time to make a Gin Basil Smash? The summer, when you have a big pot of bright green basil! You’ll need 8 to 10 basil leaves per drink, so it’s more economical to go the home-grown route. The cocktail skill we’ll use to extract that delicious, peppery flavor is called muddling. Muddling is gently mashing herbs to release their juices, which helps the flavors incorporate into drinks.

When it comes to herbs, you’ll want to have a gentle touch when muddling. Here’s how to muddle herbs, including basil:

Place the basil leaves in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. If you don’t have one, you can use a large metal cup or bowl.
With a wooden cocktail muddler or unfinished wooden spoon, gently mash the mint a few times to release the juices. Do not mash the basil with lots of force! The key to muddling is a light touch.

Basil is so easy to grow at home! Go to How to Grow Basil and How to Harvest Basil for more.

Best gin to use

Any type of gin works for a Gin Basil Smash! Try to find a mid-priced bottle, since price is usually indicative of quality when it comes to spirits. Here are a few tips for buying gin:

Every brand is different. There’s a wide range of botanical flavors in different brands of gin. Experiment to find your favorite!
Malfy gin is a good option: it has a nice balance of flavors.
Steer away from Tanqueray gin: in our opinion, it’s a little too floral.

More basil cocktails & mint cocktails

There are so many ways to use fresh herbs in cocktails in the summer! Here are a few more ideas:

Gin & Basil Cocktail Another way to pair basil and gin in a tasty drink!
Basil Gimlet Recipe The classic way to pair…gin and basil.
Mojito Pitcher Got lots of mint? Try this 8 serving pitcher.
Strawberry Mojito or Raspberry Mojito Or, mix berries and mint for a refreshing combination.
10 Fresh Mint Cocktails Try all these mint cocktails, like the Classic Mint Julep or Southside.
Lavender Gin Cocktail A tasty drink with floral lavender.

When to serve a Gin Basil Smash

This refreshing cocktail is perfect for summer when basil abounds, but of course it works year round. Try it as a:

Summer cocktail
Happy hour drink
Dinner party drink
Late night drinks drink
Guys or girls night drink
Cocktail hour drink

Gin Basil Smash

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 drink
Diet: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

Here’s the perfect summer cocktail for when herbs abound: the Gin Basil Smash! Use your basil plant for this refreshing and herbaceous drink.

Ingredients

8 to 10 large basil leaves, plus more for garnish
2 ½ ounces* gin
¾ ounce lemon juice
¾ ounce simple syrup
Ice, for serving (try clear ice)

Instructions

Place the basil leaves in a cocktail shaker and muddle them (gently mash).
Add the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup to the cocktail shaker. Add 2 handfuls ice and shake until cold.
Strain the drink into an ice-filled lowball glass. If desired, top with splash of soda water. Garnish with additional basil leaves.

Notes

*To convert to tablespoons, 1 ounce = 2 tablespoons.

Category: Drink
Method: Shaken
Cuisine: Cocktails

Keywords: Gin basil smash

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Gluten Free Banana Bread

This epic gluten free banana bread recipe will make its way into your heart on first bite! It’s deliciously moist and made with oats.

Who needs AP flour, really? This one’s our favorite banana bread recipe…and there’s no flour to speak of. Just good old fashioned oats, bananas and a bit of magic. Try this golden brown Gluten Free Banana Bread recipe! It’s got just the right moist texture, nuanced sweetness, and pure banana flavor. There’s a crunchy sugar topping, too (yum). Whip it all up in a blender and wait while comfy, cozy aroma winds it’s way from the oven.

What you need for gluten free banana bread

For gluten free banana bread, there are three basic options for the flour component. Make it with oat flour, almond flour, or gluten free flour. Gluten free flour can have additives and gums, so we don’t generally use it in our recipes. Almond flour is delicious but send the calories through the roof. So we picked oats! You’ll use the same trick behind our Healthy Banana Muffins: blend them up until they form a natural flour. Here’s what you’ll need:

Old Fashioned rolled oats (not steel cut or instant oats)
Very ripe bananas
Sugar (or coconut sugar)
Baking soda, baking powder and salt
Eggs
Neutral oil
Honey
Vanilla and cinnamon
Turbinado sugar, for topping

Tips for this banana bread recipe

This gluten free banana bread is a riff on some of our blender muffins and breads, but even better. We’ve tested it time upon time to get it just right! Here are a few things to keep in mind when you make it:

Use the ripest possible bananas. This is the cardinal rule of banana bread, and especially true with the gluten free variety. Don’t attempt this without brown bananas.
Mash and measure the bananas. You’ll use half in the blender, then stir in half so the batter gets a lumpy texture: just like normal banana bread!
Allow to come to room temp before cutting. This is important, since it doesn’t have gluten to hold it together.
Cut large slices. This also helps the bread stay together without gluten.

How to tell when it’s done

This banana bread gets dry when overbaked. How to know when it’s done? The top should be puffed and golden brown. When you insert a toothpick, it will come out mostly dry but with some crumbs still clinging to it. If you push it to a fully dry toothpick, the bread will be too dry. Trust us!

Gluten free banana bread mix-ins

You can add mix-ins to this gluten-free banana bread, but read this important note first. Adding anything to the texture of this banana bread can cause it to be less stable when sliced. If you do want to add mix-ins, chop them as small as possible. For example:

Try mini or small chocolate chips
Chop walnuts or pecans very small

More gluten free banana recipes

Love this gluten free quick bread concept? We’ve got lots of fun ways to vary it. Here are some more riffs on the idea:

These Blender Banana Bread Muffins are what started it all (or try the Banana Blueberry variation)
Try Banana Oatmeal Pancakes, gluten-free and made in a blender
Make a big pan of Banana Baked Oatmeal for a gluten free breakfast
Or, grab a Perfect Banana Smoothie

This gluten free banana bread recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free.