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Cucumber-Basil Martini

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Cucumber-Basil Martini

  • fast FAST
TOTAL TIME: 10 MIN
MAKES 1 DRINK
To make this refreshing riff on a martini, chef Laurent Tourondel muddles basil and cucumber the same way he’d mash the ingredients for a mojito; then he pours in gin and a zingy mixture of ginger syrup and lime juice.
ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon hot water
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
  • One 3-inch piece of cucumber—peeled, seeded and diced, plus 1 round for garnish
  • 3 basil leaves, 2 torn
  • 2 ounces gin
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • Ice
directions
  1. In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar in the hot water. Press the grated ginger through a fine strainer set over the bowl, releasing the juice.
  2. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the diced cucumber with the 2 torn basil leaves. Add the ginger syrup, gin, lime juice and a handful of ice. Shake well, then strain into a martini glass. Garnish the martini with the cucumber slice and the remaining whole basil leaf and serve.
Recipe by Laurent Tourondel
From July Fourth on the Grill
This recipe originally appeared in July, 2007.