National Gin Basil Smash Day

Gotta be honest. Until I put the drink calendar together, I didn't even know there was a drink called a Gin Basil Smash. I took to diffordsguide.com to learn a little about it. It came about on July 10, 2008 when its creator Jörg Meyer blogged about his new cocktail. It originated in Hamburg, Germany, and was originally called the Gin Pesto. I am not a huge pesto fan, so I had my doubts. Since there is a day known for it, lets try it out. I used the recipe off Difford's Guide website, which has a wealth of information on all things alcohol.

Gin Basil Smash
12 basil leaves
2 oz. dry gin
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/3 oz. simple syrup
Difford’s lists specific brands, but I don’t have them, so there we are. Use what ya got.
Muddle the basil leaves and lemon in the bottom of a shaker. Add the other ingredients and shake with ice. Strain over ice into an old-fashioned glass.

This is a really good drink! In the pictures online, there are several bright green drinks, and for a moment I was disappointed mine didn't look the same. Upon reading a bit more, I found that people were making basil simple syrup which accounted for the color change. It was great the way I had it, so no changes needed. 
​Here's a video of me trying to make one for the first time.

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