Smoked Basil Daiquiri

Smoked Basil Daiquiri

Smoke in a cocktail – for some this may be the next big thing in cocktails, for others it might be just a trendy thing while completely other people may watch this as something already bygone. But one thing is for sure: Smoke in a drink is not only a really impressive ingredient; it can also alter the taste to a decisive degree and improve old classics as well as new creations with a very interesting facet of taste.

But how does the smoke get into the cocktail? There are different ways to do this: For example you can try to fan some smoke into the drink or try to catch it with your cocktail shaker or you can simply use some helpful instruments which have been created merely for this task. I have decided to use the Smoking Gun by Polyscience. Of course there are other options which you can try to use or figure out yourself. A clever tinkerer may even construct a similar instrument for her- or himself, but personally I’m drawing a blank on that one.

To introduce smoke in a cocktail here at Galumbi – Drinks & More, I have chosen a recipe by the creators of the Smoking Gun as an example. The so called Smoked Basil Daiquiri. As you can already guess by the name, this drink has some similarities to the globally successful Gin Basil Smash. Colour, components of taste and preparation are not entirely coincidental reminiscent of Jörg Meyers modern classic.

The preparation is made in the style of a classic Daiquiri in which the Pyrat XO Reserve Rum is used. When it comes to terms of taste the Smoked Basil Daiquiri is a grand display of different aromas: sweet and complex notes and the load of oranges from the Pyrat Rum harmonize perfectly well with the lime juice and the Maraschino. This overall picture is accompanied by some pungent applewood smoke, thereby creating a fascinating and complex drinking experience. (Who absolutely hates smokiness as a taste and therefor won’t ever enjoy a classic BBQ-Sauce should maybe restrain from this drink).

Recipe (as published on http://recipes.polyscienceculinary.com/recipe/smoked-basil-daiquiri/ I am using ounces as measurements here. I always recommend to have jiggers for both centiliter- and ounces to make sure you meet the right proportions for a drink):

6 basil leaves
1 1/2 ounces Pyrat Rum XO Reserve
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1/4 ounce Luxardo Maraschino liqueur

Applewood-chips

Smoked Basil Daiquiri

Preparation: Invert a rocks glass and fill with dense applewood smoke. Gently muddle basil leaves in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice. Add rum, lime juice, simple syrup, and Maraschino liqueur. Shake well. Release smoke from glass and fill with fresh ice. (If you want to intensify the smokiness you can also blow additional smoke into the glass filled up with freshed ice. I have done so when I took the pictures.) Then strain cocktail into serving glass.

Garnish: lime wheel (I also like to add some additional basil)

Glass: Tumbler

Buying sources:

You will find the Pyrat XO Reserve in specialized liqueur stores or on the internet. Maraschino (as well as basil) should be available in most well-stocked supermarkets. I guess the easiest way to get your hands on the smoking gun or a similar product is to order it online (or to build it yourself).

Smoked Basil Daiquiri

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