Spring Refreshment: The Basil Instinct

A few autumns ago, I was able to visit Boise, Idaho for the first time. I cannot recommend Boise highly enough as a getaway spot...it is a clean, beautiful, vibrant city full of great places to eat, drink, and visit. One of the establishments I visited was Bardenay, which is a micro-distillery and restaurant. While there, I had one of their signature cocktails, the "Basil Instinct," which was a crisp, herbal/citrus gin concoction.

Having found myself recently with an excess of both gin and basil, I decided to see if I could recreate the drink, described on Bardenay's website as containing Bardenay Gin, Patron Citronge, fresh basil, and pressed margarita and sweet & sour mixes. After a bit of trial and error, I think I've found a reasonable approximation. And even if it's not a facsimile, it's still a perfect cooling cocktail for these warm spring days (and a great way to use your superfluity of basil).

Basil Instinct
(based upon the original Bardenay version)

2 parts gin
1 part triple sec
.5 part lime juice
.5 part lemon juice
.5 part simple syrup (or 1/3 part sugar)
Sprig of basil (4-6 leaves)

Muddle the syrup or sugar with the basil. Add juices, triple sec, and gin, and shake with ice. Pour and serve with a sprig of basil to garnish, if desired.

Notes: Simple syrup can be made quickly by combining equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan and bringing to a boil, while stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. This can be kept in the refrigerator for a few weeks. If you like a sweeter cocktail, use a full measure of simple syrup or sugar to taste.