The Cucumber Basil Smash recipe
fresh and green
Use a vegetable peeler to cut a long strip of cucumber, place it against the inside of the tumbler, and fill the glass with ice.
Put the cucumber slices and lemon juice in the shaker and muddle them thoroughly until juice is released.
Add the basil leaves and lightly muddle them: five presses are enough.
Add the gin and sugar syrup, fill the shaker with ice, and shake vigorously for fifteen seconds.
Double-strain through a fine sieve into the tumbler and serve immediately.
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The story
This drink is relatively young. Jörg Meyer created the Gin Basil Smash in 2008 at his bar Le Lion in Hamburg, and the recipe quickly spread around the world via the internet. Precisely because it was so simple, bartenders and home mixers immediately began experimenting with it, including cucumber, mint, and rosemary. The person who first served the cucumber version is not documented. The combination of gin and cucumber is much older. In England, cucumber has been part of Pimm's Cup for generations, and in 1999 William Grant & Sons launched Hendrick's, a Scottish gin to which cucumber and rose essences are added after distillation. Since then, a slice of cucumber in gin and tonic has been a standard practice in many bars, including in the Netherlands.
The right glass
Just like the original, you drink this from a tumbler filled with ice. A glass of 32 to 38 cl leaves room for fresh ice, the long strip of cucumber along the side, and about 14 cl of cocktail. A heavy base keeps the glass stable, while the wide opening lets you smell basil and cucumber with every sip. Choose clear, thin glass: the light green color and the cucumber ribbon against the side are half the fun. You can find our tumblers in the tumbler glasses collection.
Eclat Longchamp Tumbler 32 cl (6 pieces)
RCR Aria Tumbler 38 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 63,90.
The right tools
For a Cucumber Basil Smash, besides the glass, you need a Boston shaker, a wooden muddler, a jigger for precise measuring, a cocktail strainer, a fine strainer for double straining, and a citrus press. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 6 bar tools together € 167,65.
What do you make a Cucumber Basil Smash with?
You need gin for a Cucumber Basil Smash. Well-known bottles include Hendrick's, Gordon's, and Tanqueray No. Ten. On every drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Replace half the basil with mint and you will get closer to the South Side. Using lime instead of lemon makes it sharper and more tropical. Top it up with 5 cl soda for a long version in a highball glass, a sort of Tom Collins with cucumber. For an alcohol-free version, use non-alcoholic gin and slightly less syrup; how to balance that gin is explained in the Non-alcoholic gin and tonic.
Serving tip
Put the cucumber in the refrigerator an hour before use. Cold cucumber smells fresher and keeps the drink colder while muddling. Cut the garnish strip just before serving; otherwise it will become limp and release moisture into the glass.
Good to know
Which cucumber and how much
A regular Dutch greenhouse cucumber works perfectly. The skin is thin and not bitter, so there is no need to peel it, and the skin is what gives the drink its green color. Four half-centimeter slices weigh about 25 grams in total: enough for a distinct cucumber flavor without overpowering the gin. Mini cucumbers are firmer and slightly sweeter and also work well. The seed core in the middle mainly contains water; with a large, older cucumber, you can cut it out, otherwise the drink will become watery. Always use a firm cucumber: a limp one gives a flat flavor.
Muddling in two steps
Cucumber and basil each require different treatment. Cucumber is firm and really needs to be broken down; otherwise, little juice or aroma is released. So first muddle the slices with the lemon juice into a coarse mash. Basil is delicate: if you muddle it just as hard, bitter, grassy flavors are released and the leaves turn dark. Therefore, place the leaves on the muddled cucumber only afterward and press lightly five times. The ice in the shaker does the rest. Use a muddler with a flat head, such as one of our muddlers.
Which gin goes with cucumber
Hendrick's is the obvious choice. After distillation, this Scottish gin is infused with essences of cucumber and rose, which complement the fresh cucumber in the glass seamlessly. A classic London Dry at 40 to 47 percent ABV, such as Gordon's or Tanqueray No. Ten, also works: juniper and citrus give the drink more backbone, making it less soft. Avoid sweet flavored gins with fruit or a pink color. They can quickly turn this refreshing drink into lemonade, and the green character of the cucumber and basil will be lost.
Difference from the Gin Basil Smash
The Gin Basil Smash follows the IBA ratio of 6 cl gin, 2.25 cl lemon juice, 2.25 cl sugar syrup, and ten basil leaves. In this version, there is a quarter of a centiliter less lemon juice and syrup, and two fewer basil leaves. The cucumber adds moisture and its own cool flavor, which would be lost with the full amount of basil. The result is lighter and smoother: less peppery, slightly less sweet, and with a fresher finish. If you find the Gin Basil Smash a little too pronounced, start here.
Cucumber Basil Smash for a group
For six glasses, first make cucumber water: blend half a cucumber weighing about 150 grams with 12 cl lemon juice and 12 cl sugar syrup, then strain it through a fine-mesh strainer. Mix this with 36 cl gin in a jug and chill it. Add the basil only when shaking, sixteen leaves per two glasses; otherwise it will discolor in the jug. For every two glasses, shake about 25 cl of the mixture with the leaves and plenty of ice, then double-strain into ice-filled tumblers. The cucumber mixture stays fresh in the refrigerator for a few hours.
Lengthen with soda or tonic
On a hot day, you can easily lengthen this smash. Shake it as in the recipe, strain into an ice-filled highball glass and top up with 5 to 6 cl of cold soda or tonic. Soda keeps the flavor the purest and makes it light and thirst-quenching. Tonic adds a bitter edge that pairs well with cucumber; then you are close to a gin-tonic with extra herbs. Reduce the sugar syrup to 1.5 cl with tonic, because tonic is sweet itself. The basil remains clearly aromatic in both versions.
Frequently asked questions
What goes into a Cucumber Basil Smash?
A Cucumber Basil Smash contains 6 cl gin, 2 cl fresh lemon juice, 2 cl sugar syrup, four cucumber slices and eight basil leaves. First muddle the cucumber, then lightly bruise the basil, shake everything with ice and double-strain into a tumbler with fresh ice.
Do you need to peel the cucumber?
No. The skin of a Dutch greenhouse cucumber is thin and not bitter, and it gives the drink its fresh green color. Do wash the cucumber well. Only with a thick, waxy skin, as with some imported cucumbers, is it better to peel it.
How much alcohol is in a Cucumber Basil Smash?
Expect around 16 to 17 percent in the glass. The 6 cl of gin at around 41 percent provides almost 2.5 cl of pure alcohol, and after shaking with cucumber, lemon and syrup, you have about 14 to 15 cl of drink. That puts it slightly below the Gin Basil Smash, because the cucumber adds extra liquid.
Which glass do you use for a Cucumber Basil Smash?
A 32 to 38 cl tumbler with fresh ice and a long strip of cucumber against the inside. You need that space for the ice and garnish. A clear, thin glass shows the light green color best. If you lengthen it with soda or tonic, use a highball glass.
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