These are the dog days of summer, all right, and I find myself continuously getting creative when it comes to avoiding turning my oven on. Some days, I happily embrace my grill as a heat source, but when that’s not an option or the mercury is simply too high on the thermometer, cold, refreshing salads and ‘no-cook’ meals have been my automatic go-to for lunches and dinners (and I admit I may have enjoyed some leftovers for breakfast!). I also try to take advantage of all of the incredible fresh produce of the season, which means fruit, vegetables, and herbs are in as many of my dishes as possible.
My herb garden, in particular, is booming right now, so thyme, rosemary, mint, and oregano have found their way into my dressings, marinades, rubs, salads, ice creams, entrees, and desserts. This week, however, I have experimented with refreshing cocktails and mocktails to help me not only beat the heat in style but also help me make a decent dent in my herb garden bounty. My favorite herbal ingredient is my Italian basil, which takes me directly to the Amalfi coast when I close my eyes.
Italian basil, also known as Genovese basil, is famous for its abundance in Mediterranean dishes, particularly from Italy. It has an aromatic flavor reminiscent of mint that pairs well with garlic, onion, rosemary, and thyme. These flavors also pair well in the mixology world, except for the garlic and onion, of course! I have found that Italian basil in drinks, alcoholic or not, is incredibly refreshing and helps to enhance the other ingredients it is paired with. Experiment with different types of basil: Sweet basil, Purple Basil, Cinnamon Basil, Lemon Basil, and Thai Sweet Basil, to name a few. Some basil varieties will have notes of spicy clove or lemon, while others will have notes of anise. Whichever type of basil you choose to feature, it will offer a unique and fresh element to your dish and, in this case, beverage. I’ve created three unique basil creations to refresh you all summer long. Cheers!
Sunset Basil Cocktailrn
Ingredients
Instructions
- Make the simple syrup by adding ½ cup of sugar to ½ water in a pot. Heat the mixture over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, and remove it from the heat to allow it to cool. You will have extra simple syrup from this recipe.
- In a glass, combine two basil leaves, 2 ounces of gin or vodka, ice, 2 ounces of ginger beer, the juice of a ¼ lemon, 4 ounces of grapefruit juice, 2 ounces of cranberry juice, 2 ounces of simple syrup, and 2 ounces of club soda. Garnish with a lemon slice cut in half and two basil leaves cut in a chiffonade style.
Spa Juice Cocktailrn
Ingredients
Instructions
- Muddle a 1-inch piece of ginger and cucumber and a small handful of basil in a shaker. Place ice into the shaker with 2 ounces of dry gin and shake until incorporated. Pour over two basil leaves and ice in a glass and top with tonic water. Garnish with a cucumber slice and two basil leaves cut in a chiffonade style.
Watermelon Sugar Cocktail
Ingredients
Instructions
- If making watermelon juice, remove the seeds from a cup of cubed watermelon or cube a seedless watermelon. Blend the watermelon cubes in a blender and place them in a pitcher or a vessel with a spout. You will have extra watermelon juice.
- Next, make the simple syrup by adding ½ cups of sugar to ½ water in a pot. Heat the mixture over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then remove it from the heat to cool. You will have extra simple syrup.
- Fill a shaker or a glass with ice. Combine ½ cups of the watermelon juice, 2 ounces of dry gin or vodka, 2 tbsp of the simple syrup, the juice of ½ lime, the leaves of one sprig of mint, and 4 basil leaves. Shake the ingredients and pour them into a glass. Garnish with two mint leaves, a lime slice placed on the side of the glass, and two basil leaves cut in a chiffonade style.