Brazil Basil Smash
A herbal and sour cachaça cocktail ∙ Muddle; Shake ∙ 4 min ∙ 18.4% ABV ∙
The Brazil Basil Smash is a cachaça sour of muddled fresh basil, lemon juice, and sugar syrup, shaken and served over crushed ice.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- In the base of the shaker, muddle: Fresh basil leaves 12 pcs
- Add the remaining ingredients: Cachaça 60 mlLemon juice 25 mlSugar syrup 15 ml
- Shake with ice
- Fine strain into the glass filled with crushed ice
- Garnish with a basil sprig
Tips
- Muddle the 12 basil leaves on their own for about 10 seconds before adding anything else; work them longer and they turn bitter and grassy.
History
The Brazil Basil Smash is a cachaça-based riff on the Gin Basil Smash. It swaps in cachaça, Brazil's national spirit, for the original gin, giving the drink a grassier, sugarcane-driven base while keeping the muddled-basil smash format.
The Gin Basil Smash itself dates from 2008, when Jörg Meyer first served it at Le Lion in Hamburg.
FAQ
What is in a Brazil Basil Smash?
12 fresh basil leaves, 60 ml cachaça, 25 ml fresh lemon juice, and 15 ml sugar syrup.
Is a Brazil Basil Smash shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The basil is muddled in the shaker first, then the cachaça, lemon juice, and syrup are shaken hard with ice and fine-strained over crushed ice.
What glass is a Brazil Basil Smash served in?
An old-fashioned glass filled with crushed ice, garnished with a basil sprig.
How do I make the best basil smash?
Muddle the 12 basil leaves by themselves first, for no more than about 10 seconds, since longer muddling makes them bitter and grassy. Then add the cachaça, lemon juice, and sugar syrup, shake hard with ice, and fine-strain over crushed ice.
