Sometimes drinks are inspired by a beautiful piece of art or a pop culture reference. Other times they come from classics, providing the template to an amazing cocktail. All drinks start somewhere, and in the case of the Thaijito, it finds it foundation in the fact that I just had way too much Thai Basil. The result, is a delicious and refreshing gin based riff on a Mojito.
Thaijito
The Thaijito is a botanically direct and refreshing summery riff on a Mojito. The anise notes of the Thai basil add a perfumed elegance to the herbal notes of the juniper and gin botanicals. The pops of fresh lime compliment the complex and layered herbal notes, and the club gives a slight minerality that drive the elevation of the drink to the next level. It’s a lovely, simple sipper for a late summer evening.
Drink Notes & Recommendations
While you could probably make this drink with light rum, I chose gin to emphasize the botanical notes of the Thai basil. I’d recommend sticking with Thai basil, which has a different flavor than Genovese (the one you see in Italian cuisine) basil, although you could use it in a pinch. If you do, it might work better with lemon.
- Gin – Bombay Sapphire was the choice here for the London Gin profile, and to slightly emphasize the connection to more Asian botanicals. If you can find their Far East gin, that might double down on this flavor profile to compliment the Thai basil, but any London Gin will do (Beefeater, Tanqueray, etc) .
- Simple Syrup – We used a 1:1 water to sugar ratio simple syrup here.
- Lime Juice – For best results, use fresh squeezed.
- Club Soda – You can buy something expensive, but I still feel that the local generic brand works well. Look for the smallest, cost effective size you can find to avoid not being able to finish the bottle in 1 – 2 days.
- Thai Basil – I’ve had the most success buying Thai basil from local Asian markets, but that’s far from the only place you can find it. In our case, we have an AeroGarden* which has resulted in plenty of Thai Basil (it’s a bush at this point) and other herbs. It’s a great way to augment your cooking and cocktails, but feel free to buy the basil as you need it.
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