Cocktails with Basil cordial
Basil cordial is a non-alcoholic sweetened syrup made by infusing fresh basil leaves into sugar and water.
Taste profile
Syrupy and full on the palate, finishing on a sweet, spicy, anise-like basil aroma that lingers.
How it's used
Bartenders pour it in small measures as a sweetening and aromatic accent, shaken or stirred into the build, dosing to sweeten while adding fresh-herb character.
Substitutes for Basil cordial
Its sweetness and body can be matched by any simple syrup, but the fresh-basil aroma — the reason it is chosen — cannot; where basil is the signature flavour, only another basil preparation (fresh basil, basil syrup) will substitute.
Description
The base is a sugar-and-water syrup, usually about equal parts sugar and water, into which basil (Ocimum basilicum) leaves are infused to carry their aroma into the liquid; it contains no alcohol. As a household or bar preparation it has no legal standard of identity, so formulations vary and may add acidulants such as citric acid or citrus juice, or further fruit and herb infusions.
Storage
As a fresh-herb infusion with only sugar for preservation, it is perishable; refrigerate and use relatively fresh before the basil aroma fades or turns grassy.
