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A Limoncello Gin Cocktail for any occasion! It’s sweet, tart, boozy, and herbaceous all wrapped up in one impressive cocktail. This gin limoncello cocktail takes inspiration from the classic Gin Basil Smash and gives it a lemony upgrade with limoncello and a splash of something floral! Let’s get into it!
Ingredients and Barware Needed
- Limoncello: my favorite brand is Pallini. Once opened, it’s best stored in the refrigerator.
- Gin: use any kind of gin for this Limoncello Gin Cocktail. I tend to like something fairly floral here, so if you can find it, Bloom is a great option.
- Lemon: fresh squeezed, always!
- Basil: a bit of fresh basil gets muddled in the cocktail shaker before everything is shaken together. This adds sweet herbaceousness and shouldn’t be missed.
- St. Germain: also known as elderflower liqueur. This is optional, but I find the floral flavor really enhances the flavor of the gin.
Get to Know About Limoncello
Limoncello is a Southern Italian lemon liqueur that’s sweet and velvety. Really good limoncellos strike a perfect balance between tart acidity, slight spice and sweetness. Limoncello is fairly sweet, but when served over ice in aperitif glasses, it absolutely hits the spot.
Most limoncellos are 26–32% alcohol making it a great after-dinner drink or addition to classic cocktails like the spritz, martini, or gin fizz. Personally, I like to use it to make a Limoncello Martini.
To learn more about the history, region, and production of Limoncello, head over to Difford’s—our trusted source for all things liquor and liqueur.
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Limoncello Gin Cocktail with Basil
Description
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Ingredients
- 4 basil leaves
- 1 lemon
- 2 ounces London dry gin, such as Bloom
- ¾ ounce Limoncello
- ½ ounce St. Germain (elderflower liqueur)
Instructions
- Halve lemon and juice; set juice aside.
- Cut spent lemon halves in half again; add two lemon pieces to a cocktail shaker with basil. Muddle lemon and basil until thoroughly smashed and fragrant.
- Add gin, 1 ounce lemon juice, Limoncello and St Germain.
- Fill shaker with ice and shake vigorously until well-chilled.
- Strain into a coupe or martini glass and garnish with a basil leaf. Alternatively, you can serve this over ice in a rocks glass.
Notes
Nutrition
Drawing Inspiration from the Gin Basil Smash
Refreshing and herbaceous, the Gin Basil Smash is a classic cocktail. If you want to keep things classic, try the original recipe from Jörg Meyer (as listed below).
He uses a lot of basil—which I love. But for some it can be a bit much. Try it first with 6 basil leaves, then add or subtract in your next round of cocktails depending on your preference.
Jörg Meyer’s original Gin Basil Smash Cocktail recipe:
- 12 basil leaves
- 2 ounces gin
- ¾ ounces fresh lemon juice
- ⅓–¾ ounces simple syrup—depends on how sweet you like your drinks
