This one was a surprise.
I had some fresh Thai basil from the garden and thought I'd try to come up with a nice, herbal drink to use it. I thought I'd use Crème de Violette just for the purple color (although the flavor is also great, especially with gin), but then at the last moment I added some sweet vermouth. That addition shockingly changed the color to a rich green.
It doesn't hurt that the drink tastes pretty fantastic, either.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz St. George Terroir gin
- ½ oz Dolin Blanc vermouth
- ¼ oz Crème de Violette
- ¼ oz Punt e Mes sweet vermouth
- 2 dashes lavender bitters
- 1 dash orange bitters
- Fresh Thai basil
Directions:
- Muddle
the basil gently in a mixing glass. (I do this by placing a few ice
cubes over the leaves, covering the glass with my hand and shaking the
glass up and down a bit.)
- Add the other ingredients and stir until well chilled.
- Strain into a coupe or martini glass and garnish with a fresh basil leaf.