08 August: Tabernacle Crush

When a drink gets a five-star rating in Food & Wine Magazine, well, that’s a drink you definitely want to try. Tonight’s cocktail was light, refreshing, and peachy, which of course fits this time of year when fresh peaches are readily available here in Massachusetts. A muddled blend of peaches and basil give this drink, developed by Linton Hopkins, an end-of-summer freshness. Great for hot August evenings!

Tabernacle Crush

Ingredients

• 1/2 large peach, sliced (I also peeled, but that’s definitely not necessary)

• 6 small basil leaves, plus more for garnish

• 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice

• 1-1/2 ounces gin

• 1 ounce Lillet (blanc)

• 1/2 ounce simple syrup

• Ice

• Club Soda

How to make it

In a tall glass, muddle the peach with 6 basil leaves and the lemon guice. Add the gin, Lillet, and simple syrup. Add ice cubes and top with club soda. Garnish with basil.

19 July: Basil Gimlet

Be Your Own Bartender by Carey Jones and John McCarthy is a lot like following a flowchart. Start with a base spirit (gin, whiskey, vodka), and from that starting point, one can build lots of variations on a theme. Tonight’s cocktail, the Basil Gimlet, is a play on fresh basil which is plentiful at this time of year; however, one could also make the same cocktail with mint or rosemary and achieve different results.

Basil Gimlet

Ingredients (1 drink)

• 2 ounces gin (suggestion was Beefeater I used Tanguery)

• 1 ounce FRESH lime juice

• 3/4 ounce simple syrup (I like things that are less sweet, so I reduced this to 1/2 ounce)

• 1 dash orange bitters

• 5 basil leaves torn in half as they are added to the shaker, plus 1 additional leaf for garnish

Method

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously, then double strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a basil leaf, lightly clapped between your hands before being added to the drink.