Gin · 2008, Hamburg
Gin Basil Smash
Gin, basil, lemon, sugar, shaken and green: the Gin Basil Smash was invented at Le Lion in 2008 and has been in every bar in the world since.
Ingredients
- 6 cl gin
- 3 cl fresh lemon juice
- 2 cl sugar syrup
- a handful of basil leaves
Method
- Press the basil with the lemon juice and syrup in the shaker.
- Add gin and ice, shake hard.
- Double-strain over fresh ice into the tumbler.
- Garnish with a basil leaf.
Jörg Meyer, founder of Le Lion in Hamburg, developed the drink in July 2008 from the Whiskey Smash and published it on his blog. Within two years it was on menus in New York, London and Tokyo. It is the most successful German cocktail and one of the few modern classics.
The Gin Basil Smash is green, sour, fresh and still strong. It demands fresh basil, lots of it, and a gin that does not drown. At Le Lion it is still made the way it was in 2008.
Where to drink it
The bars for a perfect Gin Basil Smash.
Cocktail barHamburg · City centre
Le Lion – Bar de Paris
The bar that invented the Gin Basil Smash
Cocktail barVienna · Mariahilf
If Dogs Run Free
The ceiling everyone photographs
Cocktail barHamburg · St. Pauli
Kleines Phi
Colour in the glass, music in the room
Cocktail barCologne · Belgian Quarter
Little Link
Cologne's best bar in a small room
