Cocktails with Basil cordial
Basil cordial is a sweetened basil infusion sharpened with citric acid or lemon, so it is sour as well as sweet.
How it's used
It tastes of peppery, anise-edged basil, with the sugar behind it. It suits alcohol-free drinks, citrus sours and sparkling builds, and goes well with strawberry and cucumber.
Substitutes for Basil cordial
Basil syrup with lemon
Use the exact same amount of syrup and add lemon juice, starting with a barspoon per 100 ml. Taste as you go.
Homemade cordial
Pour 480 ml of boiling water over 400 g of sugar and 10–15 leaves. Steep 30 minutes, strain and sharpen with lemon juice.
Plain basil syrup
Without the extra citrus, it tastes overly sweet and flat because it lacks acid.
Basil liqueur
It brings a kick of alcohol but very little sugar. You will need to balance things out with syrup and lemon.
Storage
Refrigerated, it lasts about a week. The color goes before the flavor. Basil browns as it oxidizes, and a cordial gone olive still tastes of basil but looks wrong in a clear glass.
