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The Fabled Pour

Basil

Also called sweet basil, Genovese basil, Thai basil, Ocimum basilicum

Fresh sweet basil, Genovese or Thai, used whole or lightly pressed for its anise and clove scented green aroma. It pairs with gin, lime, strawberry and tomato and belongs to the Gin Basil Smash. Never muddle it to pulp: bruise, clap, or shake it whole for the cleanest flavor.

  • sweet anise
  • clove
  • green pepper
  • fresh grass
  • mint edge in Thai basil
  • faint citrus

Origin

Sweet basil, Ocimum basilicum, is a member of the mint family native to the tropical regions of Africa and Asia; Genovese and Thai basil are cultivars of the same species. Its fragrant leaves and flowers season food and are steeped in tea. In the bar it arrived with the herb forward cocktails of the 2000s, most famously Jörg Meyer's Gin Basil Smash in Hamburg in 2008.

Production and safety

Buy or pick fresh, wash and dry gently, and store wrapped in damp paper in a sealed box in the fridge; use within 3 to 5 days. Discard wilted or blackened leaves. Basil blackens fast once cut; add it at the last moment and shake whole leaves rather than muddling.

Allergens: None

Common uses

  • Gin Basil Smash
  • basil in a strawberry Daiquiri
  • a basil and lime Margarita
  • basil garnish on a tomato based drink
  • the house concept that calls for it

Sources

  1. Ocimum basilicum (NC State Extension Plant Toolbox), NC State Extension · secondary source, retrieved 2026-10-11
  2. How the Gin Basil Smash Became a Modern Classic, Punch · secondary source, retrieved 2026-10-11