Basil Gin Sour
The Basil Gin Sour follows the sour formula of spirit, citrus and sugar that Jerry Thomas printed as early as 1862, and adds basil and egg white. The egg white brings no flavour of its own but a velvety foam that softens acidity and alcohol. Serve it either over ice in a tumbler or straight up in a coupe.
- Preparation time
- 7 minutes
- Servings
- 1 drink
- Difficulty
- advanced
- Method
- Muddled and double shaken
- Glass
- Tumbler over ice or coupe
- Garnish
- Basil leaves
Ingredients
- 5cl THE DUKE Munich Dry Gin
- 3 cl lemon juice
- 2 cl sugar syrup
- 10-15 fresh basil leaves
- 1 egg white
Preparation
- Add gin, lemon juice and basil to the shaker and muddle firmly.
- Add sugar syrup and egg white.
- Shake hard over ice.
- For more foam, strain out the ice and shake again without it.
- Double strain into a tumbler or coupe and garnish with basil leaves.
Put gin, lemon juice and basil in a shaker and muddle vigorously with a pestle. Add sugar syrup and egg white and shake vigorously over ice. For more foam, strain out the ice and dry shake again. Then double strain into a tumbler or cocktail bowl and garnish with basil leaves.
The cocktail can be served in a glass either on ice or without ice.
Tips
- The second round without ice is called a dry shake and creates the dense foam. We shake with ice first, then dry.
- For a vegan version use aquafaba, the liquid from a tin of chickpeas, in the same quantity as the egg white.
- Double strain so no basil fragments disturb the foam.
- Over ice the drink stays cold longer and turns milder; without ice in the coupe the foam shows at its best.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference to the Gin Basil Smash?
The Gin Basil Smash works without egg white, is shaken hard with basil and served over ice in a tumbler: clear, green and sharp. The Basil Gin Sour follows the sour formula and takes egg white, which creates a velvety foam and rounds off the acidity. It is softer and creamier, served either over ice or straight up.
Why egg white, and what is a dry shake?
Egg white adds no flavour of its own but texture: shaking makes it foam and lay a fine, creamy crown over the drink, which makes acidity and alcohol feel softer. A dry shake means shaking without ice, which produces especially dense foam. We shake with ice first, strain the ice out and shake again dry. Vegan alternative: aquafaba.
Which glass for a Basil Gin Sour?
Both work, and we deliberately leave the choice: in a tumbler over ice the drink stays cold longer and grows milder over time; in a chilled coupe without ice the foam shows at its best and the sour stays concentrated. Either way, double strain and garnish with fresh basil leaves.