Basil Bee Cocktail Recipe
Meet the Basil Bee – a bright, herbaceous cocktail crafted with fresh basil, gin, honey syrup, and lemon. This refreshing drink is perfect for summer evenings, brunches, or your next cocktail party.
How to Make the Best Basil Bee Cocktail
The Basil Bee is a stunning twist on the classic Bee’s Knees cocktail, adding fresh basil for an herbaceous complexity that pairs beautifully with the floral notes of gin. The honey syrup brings a natural sweetness that rounds out the tartness of fresh lemon juice, creating a perfectly balanced cocktail that’s as refreshing as it is sophisticated.
This cocktail is all about the basil, so don’t skimp on the muddling. A full minute of muddling releases those essential oils and infuses the drink with an aromatic quality that makes each sip a sensory experience. The honey syrup adds a silky texture and subtle sweetness that honey alone simply can’t achieve.
Whether you’re hosting a summer garden party or just unwinding on a warm evening, the Basil Bee delivers elegance in a glass. The sugar rim adds a touch of sweetness to each sip, and garnishing with edible flowers transforms this cocktail into a showstopper.
Basil Bee Cocktail
Meet the Basil Bee – a bright, herbaceous cocktail crafted with fresh basil, gin, honey syrup, and lemon. This refreshing drink is perfect for summer evenings, brunches, or your next cocktail party.
Ingredients
Cocktail
Garnish
Instructions
Make the Cocktail
- Fill a shaker halfway with ice. Add basil leaves, gin and lemon juice.
- Muddle the basil leaves into the ice, muddling for a full minute. Add the honey simple syrup. Place the lid on the shaker and shake for at least 30 seconds.
- Strain into a sugar-rimmed cocktail glass and garnish as desired.
Sugar Rim and Garnish
- To create the sugar rim, rub the rim of a glass with a halved lemon and dip it in a bowl of sugar.
- Attach the garnish using mini clothespins or float it on top of the drink.
Notes
- To make honey simple syrup, combine equal parts honey and warm water, stirring until the honey dissolves. Let cool before using.
- For a mocktail version, replace the gin with sparkling water or a non-alcoholic spirit.
- Fresh basil is essential—dried basil won't give you the same bright, aromatic flavor.
