Gin and tonic, a quintessential summer cocktail, gets refreshed with basil, lemon juice and St-Germain elderflower liqueur. Recipe below.
The artisan cocktail movement has turned happy hour into an adventure—part grownup playdate, part science fair. Bartenders are now alchemists, creating inventive, flavorful drinks from small-batch craft spirits, housemade bitters and all manner of herbs, fruits, vegetables and more. We embrace this trend. These days, we’re as likely to ask for a cocktail menu as we are a wine list, in a bar or even out for dinner. An imaginative, well-mixed cocktail just seems to amp up the fun and the elegance.
At home, this cocktail renaissance has us taking a fresh look at our classic go-to drinks. What is more summery than a gin and tonic? The original, made with gin, tonic water, lime and ice, is bracing and fresh, driven by gin’s signature juniper berry taste. But on a recent evening when I thought of gin and tonics, another archetypal taste of summer popped into my head. Basil.
Adding herbs to cocktails is nothing new—think mint julep or mojito. Basil’s distinctive flavor, a mix of licorice, pepper and mint, anchors pesto and caprese salad, two favorite seasonal dishes. I thought it might add something special to a gin and tonic too. Of course, lemon pairs beautifully with basil, so it stepped in for the lime.
We first sampled St-Germain at a tasting a couple of years ago. The sweet liqueur, made from elderflowers handpicked in the French Alps, has been a staple of our liquor cabinet ever since. It is often mixed with sparkling wine, but is also delicious on its own. Mixed with gin for this cocktail, it adds summery fruit and citrus notes. The St-Germain is optional in this gin and tonic remix, but a delicious option. For the gin, I stuck with French and chose Citadelle. We’re also fans of Hendrick’s, but any good gin will do.
Basil Lemon Gin and Tonic
Makes 2 cocktails (or more—see Kitchen Notes)
4 to 5 large fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) gin
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) St-Germain liqueur
ice
tonic water
Tear 4 to 5 large basil leaves into pieces and place in a cocktail shaker. Add the lemon juice and muddle fairly forcefully—you want to break up some of the basil and release its oils. Add the gin, St-Germain (if using) and some ice. Shake. Strain into ice-filled rocks glasses. You’ll probably get a few stray bits of basil in the glasses when you do. That’s a good thing. Top up the glasses with tonic water, garnish with basil leaves and serve.
Kitchen Notes
How many fingers am I holding up? With 1/4-cup of alcohol in each drink, these are fairly potent. For a lighter, refreshing cocktail, you can pour the shaker contents over ice in three or even four glasses and top with tonic.
This sounds wonderful! I’ve used herbs in cocktails, but sparingly — but this sounds like a terrific combination. In fact it’d probably be awfully good without the basil, but I really like the idea of it. I’ve not tried Citadelle gin, but Hendrick’s is wonderful. Really good stuff — thanks.
Thanks, Kitchenriffs! It probably would still be refreshing and delicious without basil, but the basil really elevates it, I think. It really comes forward in the drink and gives it a nice complexity.
I will make this for sure this weekend. I just bought Citadelle for the first time 2 weeks ago and love it but in my opinion where gin and tonics are concerned there is nothing like Tanqueray Rangpur. We can’t buy it in Canada so I have to wait for someone to come up or go there and be willing to bring me some.
Gin tonics are our favourite. I just came back from Quebec and bought a gin made there called Ungava. It is yellow and absolutely smooth and delicious. We can’t get it in Ontario so I’ve been waiting impatiently for this trip to come up. Never had or heard of St. Germain liqueur before. Just looked it up and I can buy it around the corner from work. The garden is full of basil so were good to go. Since the A/C is kaput we may have to sample this earlier 🙂 THANK YOU TERRY!!
I’ve been experimenting with basil in cocktails also. Have you tried a basil gimlet? Simple syrup muddled with basil leaves, lime juice, and either gin or vodka. Really good! Will have to try the G&T with basil too.
Thanks!
Randi, I hope you like it! On a separate note, I don’t know where you are in Ontario, but I hope you dodged the torrential rains that hit Toronto last week. Those would have certainly driven me to drink.
Carol, how funny you should mention a basil gimlet! We actually had those at an event a few weeks ago. They were indeed delicious.
We made these on the weekend when my parents came for dinner and we absolutely loved them! My husband was not so sure at first because it’s different than what he is used to but that changed pretty quickly. We all noticed there seemed to be hints of grapefruit and lychee and I absolutely love lychee. This drink is really refreshing. The basil and lemon go so nicely with it. I’m not big on liqueurs but I really like this one.
Glad you tried this and reported back, Randi. Even happier that it was a positive report!