Gin Basil Mojito

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While mojito and mint go hand-in-hand, we’re doing what we do best by breaking tradition with our gin basil mojito for an herbal twist on the classic London mojito. The peppery sweetness of basil blends wonderfully with the gin in a way mint just can’t match. Basil transforms a basic summer cocktail into an instant garden party classic.

Mojitos are probably my favorite summer cocktail. They’re sweet, a little zingy, and so refreshing on a hot day. But since I’ve been on a gin kick lately, I thought I’d shake up my mojitos by pairing the herbal flavors of gin with another of my favorite summer flavors: fresh basil!

The best part about this drink is that it’s easy to have the ingredients on hand all summer long. We have a basil plant on our balcony right now, and nearly every summer grocery trip involves an entire bag of limes (we eat a LOT of Mexican food this time of year…). Just 5 minutes, no special grocery trip, and I’m sipping on a mojito whenever I want. It’s pure summer bliss!

Why We Love This Recipe

The Secret to a Better Gin Mojito: Why We Swapped Mint for Basil

While the classic mojito uses mint, we found the sweet, peppery notes of fresh basil to highlight the botanicals in London dry gin far better than mint does. This helps to bridge the gap between the bright, acidic lime, and our favorite juniper berry forward gin. 

The basil for mint swap transforms this cocktail from a pool-side cocktail to a sophisticated, herbal summer sipper. It’s the perfect cocktail for garden parties, dinners with friends, or an afternoon refreshment.

Key Ingredients

A classic mojito is made with rum, mint leaves, lime, simple syrup, and club soda. So for our mojito inspired gin basil cocktail, we’ve swapped the rum and mint for gin and basil. Simple as that!

• Gin – We prefer making this cocktail with London dry gin, which is unsweetened and therefore has a cleaner, more herbal flavor than other types of gin. Its botanical flavor profile plays perfectly with the fresh basil and lime in this mojito.
• Fresh basil – You’ll need fresh basil leaves so that you can muddle them, like you would muddle mint for a traditional mojito. Dried basil won’t work here, because the purpose of muddling is to extract the oils from the fresh leaves.
• Fresh limes – As with any cocktail, the quality of your ingredients is super important! Freshly squeezed lime juice provides the bright acidity and freshness to this drink that you just can’t get from the bottled stuff.
• Simple syrup – You can easily make your own with a 1 to 1 ratio of granulated sugar and water. Heat the water over the stove, mix in the sugar until it’s fully dissolved, then let it cool before using or storing in the fridge. It’ll keep pretty much indefinitely. We always have a Chubby bottle full of simple syrup in our fridge!
• Club soda – You can also use unflavored bubbly water if you prefer, as there’s really not much difference. We often just pop a bottle in our SodaStream to make carbonated water for cocktails instead of buying club soda from the store.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Equipment

You’ll need a few essential bar tools to make a good gin mojito at home:

• Muddler
• Shaker
• Hawthorne strainer
• Bar spoon

We bought this 11-piece cocktail shaker set a while ago, and it has everything we’ve ever needed for mixing up craft cocktails at home! You can also easily find these tools a la carte from local home and kitchen stores.

How To Make A Gin Mojito

1. Muddle – Add the basil and lime wedges (quartered is fine) to the shaker with the gin and simple syrup and muddle to juice the limes and release the oils from the rind and basil.
2. Chill – Add ice to the cocktail shaker and shake to chill. 
3. Strain – Strain into a tall glass filled with ice using a Hawthorne strainer. This type of strainer will catch any small pieces of basil or lime pulp, preventing them from getting into your drink and leaving the cocktail with a smoother mouthfeel.
4. Top off and serve – Add the club soda. Optionally garnish with fresh lime wedges and a sprig of basil, and enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

We find this cocktail to pair best with light and fresh foods, especially Mediterranean dishes. Here are some of our favorites:

• Appetizers – Baked bruschetta dip, spinach artichoke dip phyllo cups, or a perfect charcuterie board. 
• Small Plates – Crispy potatoes with whipped ricotta, pan con tomate, or patatas bravas.
• Dinners – Burrata pizza, zucchini and tomato pasta, or burrata pasta with burst tomatoes.
• Desserts – Mini lemon blueberry cheesecakes or Greek yogurt dessert parfaits.