Gin Basil Smash in an old-fashioned glass with a basil sprig garnish

Gin Basil Smash (low-calorie)

Name: Gin Basil Smash (low-calorie)
Prep time: 4 min
Total time: 4 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: Fresh basil leaves — 12 pcs; London dry gin — 45 ml (1 1/2 oz); Lemon juice (freshly squeezed) — 25 ml (5/6 oz); Sugar-free sweetener syrup — 15 ml (1/2 oz)

A herbal and sour gin cocktail ∙ Muddle; Shake ∙ 4 min ∙ 16.4% ABV ∙

The Gin Basil Smash (low-calorie) is a muddled gin sour of fresh basil, London dry gin and lemon juice, sweetened with sugar-free syrup instead of sugar.

Ingredients

Servings

Garnish

Basil sprig

Instructions for 1 serving

Pre-chill a glass
In the base of the shaker, muddle: Fresh basil leaves 12 pcs
Add the remaining ingredients: London dry gin 45 mlLemon juice 25 mlSugar-free sweetener syrup 15 ml
Shake with ice
Fine strain into the chilled glass
Garnish with a basil sprig

Tips

Muddle the basil in the base of the shaker before adding the gin, lemon, and sweetener, then fine-strain so no leaf fragments end up in the glass.

History

This low-calorie version follows the herbal, citrus-forward formula of the Gin Basil Smash but swaps a sugar-free sweetener for the usual sugar syrup, trimming the drink's calorie count without changing its basic profile.

The Gin Basil Smash itself was created in 2008 by German bartender Jorg Meyer at Le Lion, his bar in Hamburg. It spread quickly through European and American bars as a modern classic once Meyer shared the recipe online.

FAQ

How many calories are in a Gin Basil Smash?

This Gin Basil Smash has about 111 calories per serving, kept low by using a sugar-free sweetener syrup instead of regular sugar syrup.