Who invented the Basil Smash?

German bartender Jörg Meyer created it in summer 2008 at Le Lion Bar de Paris in Hamburg, first calling it Gin Pesto. He posted the recipe to his blog on July 10, 2008, and it spread internationally as the Gin Basil Smash within months.

What's the best gin for a Basil Smash?

A classic London dry gin with a clear juniper backbone, like Tanqueray or Beefeater, holds up best against the basil and citrus. A more floral gin works too, but avoid anything too delicate; the basil needs something to push against.

Can I substitute the basil in a Basil Smash?

Mint turns it into a straightforward Gin Smash, cleaner and more familiar, but you lose the peppery, savoury edge that makes this drink distinct. Dried basil won't muddle into the same fresh oil, so fresh leaves are really non-negotiable here.

Why is a Basil Smash strained so carefully?

Muddled basil shreds into very fine bits that a standard strainer lets through, clouding the texture. Fine-straining, or double-straining, catches those particles so the drink pours clean while keeping the vivid green colour and aroma basil gives it.

What variations of the Basil Smash exist?

Bartenders swap the base spirit often — a Tequila Basil Smash or Vodka Basil Smash both keep the same muddled-basil, lemon and syrup structure. Some versions add cucumber or swap lemon for lime, but gin remains the original and most common base.

Gin · Smash · Herbaceous

Basil Smash Recipe

Muddled fresh basil and gin, shaken with lemon — the drink that put basil behind the bar. Green and herbaceous with a citrus snap — gin's juniper meets peppery muddled basil, cut bright with lemon. A modern classic built for a warm evening when mint feels too obvious.

Prep Time: 1.5 min
Method: Shaken
Glass: Rocks glass
Strength: Balanced

Every recipe on Sipped Right is tested for taste and balance before it's published.

Last updated October 20, 2026

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About the Basil Smash

The Basil Smash — also called the Gin Basil Smash — was created in the summer of 2008 by German bartender Jörg Meyer at Le Lion Bar de Paris in Hamburg, first served under the working name "Gin Pesto." Meyer posted the recipe to his blog on July 10, 2008, and it spread through the bartending world fast enough to become one of the defining modern classics of its era. Meyer traced the idea to a trip to New York in winter 2007, where he tried a Whiskey Smash at Audrey Saunders' Pegu Club; back in Hamburg, flipping through a recipe booklet from French gin brand G'Vine that featured a basil garnish, he combined the two ideas into a gin sour built around muddled basil instead of mint. Within the same year, Le Lion was named Best New Cocktail Bar at Tales of the Cocktail's Spirited Awards, and the drink's reputation grew alongside the bar's.

Two parts gin to three-quarters each of lemon juice and simple syrup (2:0.75:0.75) is the ratio Jörg Meyer wrote down when he first shared the recipe — equal citrus and sweetness holding the gin's juniper and the muddled basil's peppery, herbal oil in balance without either one taking over. It's a direct descendant of the Whiskey Smash format Meyer tasted at the Pegu Club that inspired him in the first place — the same spirit-citrus-sugar-muddled-herb structure, just gin and basil standing in for whiskey and mint.

Basil Smash cocktail served in a Rocks glass with basil sprig

Ingredients

Servings

Gin2 oz
Fresh lemon juice¾ oz
Simple syrup¾ oz
Basil leaves10, muddled
Basil sprig, for garnish1 sprig

Method

Add the basil leaves to the shaker.
Muddle gently.
Measure and pour the gin, fresh lemon juice and simple syrup into the shaker.
Add a scoop of ice to the shaker.
Shake for 15 seconds.
Fine-strain the cocktail into a rocks glass over ice.
Garnish with a basil sprig.

Shaking the Basil Smash into a chilled rocks glass

Close-up of the basil sprig on a Basil Smash, expressed over the glass

Glass & Garnish

Rocks glass, filled with ice — a big cube or two if you have them, so the drink stays cold through the pour without watering down the basil too fast. This one is shaken and fine-strained rather than built, so the ice you see went into the glass fresh at the last step, not into the shaker. Garnish with a slapped basil sprig set on top of the ice. Basil bruises and turns bitter within minutes once it's cut, so it's clapped between the palms right before it goes on the drink — that quick release of oil sends the aroma up to meet you on the first sip, the same principle as expressing a citrus peel, just herbal instead of citrus.

Notes

Basil bruises and turns bitter within minutes once muddled, so this doesn't hold or batch pre-mixed well — muddle it fresh to order. Fine-straining (or double-straining) matters here: basil shatters into fine bits that a standard Hawthorne strainer alone won't catch.

Tools Used

Affiliate links

Muddler Cocktail shaker Jigger Fine strainer Hawthorne strainer Rocks / Old Fashioned glass

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FAQ

Who invented the Basil Smash?: German bartender Jörg Meyer created it in summer 2008 at Le Lion Bar de Paris in Hamburg, first calling it Gin Pesto. He posted the recipe to his blog on July 10, 2008, and it spread internationally as the Gin Basil Smash within months.
What's the best gin for a Basil Smash?: A classic London dry gin with a clear juniper backbone, like Tanqueray or Beefeater, holds up best against the basil and citrus. A more floral gin works too, but avoid anything too delicate; the basil needs something to push against.
Can I substitute the basil in a Basil Smash?: Mint turns it into a straightforward Gin Smash, cleaner and more familiar, but you lose the peppery, savoury edge that makes this drink distinct. Dried basil won't muddle into the same fresh oil, so fresh leaves are really non-negotiable here.
Why is a Basil Smash strained so carefully?: Muddled basil shreds into very fine bits that a standard strainer lets through, clouding the texture. Fine-straining, or double-straining, catches those particles so the drink pours clean while keeping the vivid green colour and aroma basil gives it.
What variations of the Basil Smash exist?: Bartenders swap the base spirit often — a Tequila Basil Smash or Vodka Basil Smash both keep the same muddled-basil, lemon and syrup structure. Some versions add cucumber or swap lemon for lime, but gin remains the original and most common base.