If you had asked me when I was 19 if I ever thought I’d be bragging about a delicious Gin cocktail I made, I would not have believed you. First of all, because making any sort of “cocktail” when I was 19 was not in my realm, but mostly because I hated gin. It is well established that 19 year old’s have horrible taste in alcohol, so it’s not surprising that I was slangin back Cherry Burnetts (gross) and overlooking what an interesting and refreshing drink Gin can make.
What finally brought me around to gin as a drink was Andrew and I’s trip to Europe, specifically Amsterdam. Did you know that Gin is a huge thing there? Neither did we until a friend recommended that we go gin tasting there. Trust me, it is a necessary part of any trip there.
(I drank all that)
Through my aggressive studying of travel guides, we were able to find a gin distillery in the woods that overlooked a small pond. It was perfect, the guy spoke with an aggressively dutch accent and they just gave us complimentary cheese and sausage! They had probably 20 some flavors and Andrew and I tried them all. Needless to say, we were smashed leaving there.
(Actual Footage of the Giant Gin and Tonic)
You don’t need to discover a practically hidden distillery to learn to appreciate gin in Amsterdam. They practically throw it at you, gin and tonics are on special at every bar. They’re not just a regular gin and tonic either, they’re loaded with all kinds of fruit and other flavors. The inspiration for this recipe came from a gin and tonic I had that had grapefruit in it. It was so light and refreshing and the flavor of the gin matched the citrus so well!
For this recipe I actually muddled the grapefruit with honey to bring out more of it’s sweetness. It is also accompanied by a slight savory flavor from fresh basil and finished with refreshing, bubbly soda water. It’s the perfect hint of sweet, crisp and so summery. It is truly a perfect patio cocktail!
So go out on a limb, get a bottle of gin, and kick back on your porch relaxing. You’ve had a rough week, you deserve it!
Until Next Time,
Jackie
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Grapefruit Basil Gin Gimlet’s
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Cocktails, Drinks
Description
A perfect drink to sip on the patio in the sunshine! Sweet and refreshing grapefruit and tart lime juice muddled with gin and honey and topped with bubbly soda water.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 large grapefruit, sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 4 tbs honey
- 2 limes, sliced
- 8 shots gin
- 2 cups club soda (maybe more to top it)
- ice cubes
Instructions
- This makes four servings so you are going to start by lining up four glasses and placing 1/4 of the grapefruit, 1/2 of a lime, 1 tbs honey and about 3 fresh basil leaves at the bottom of each glass.
- Using a muddler, smash the honey into the limes and grapefruit until they begin to release their juices. Next pour the mix into a shaker with ice and shake vigorously for one minute. You have to shake the full time to ensure the honey gets worked into the drink.
- Strain the drink over more ice. Garnish with fresh basil leaves!
