Thai basil margarita, lime juice, tequila
A fresh, zingy cocktail packed with fresh citrus juices and fragrant Thai basil, with a touch of sweetness and fiery tequila.
A fresh, zingy cocktail packed with fresh citrus juices and fragrant Thai basil, with a touch of sweetness and fiery tequila.
This is what I would classify as a healthy cocktail – very low sugar (optional maple syrup) and packed with fresh, nutritious citrus and natural flavour. There’s just the small matter of the booze.
recipe
Serves 2
Prep/cook time: 10 minutes
ingredients
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1 lime, zest and juice
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
- 50ml tequila (or any other spirit)
- 10 Thai basil leaves
- extra basil leaves and edible gold flakes to garnish
instructions
- Zest a few scrapes of lemon and lime over 2 martini glasses.
- Juice and strain the lemon and lime into a cocktail shaker. Add the maple syrup, tequila and Thai basil leaves, then shake with plenty of ice until the shaker is frosted.
Technique: Shaking the drink with ice bruises the Thai basil leaves to release their aromatic flavour. Shaking also thoroughly chills the drink, but do not shake any longer than needed, as it dilutes the cocktail.
- Strain into the martini glasses and garnish.
recipe notes
serving ideas
- A great match for spicy Thai green curry.
storage
- Drink immediately.
substitutions
- Vegan-isable – Use agave or maple syrup instead of honey.
- Thai basil is the star of this cocktail, so it's best not to substitute it, unless for another spicy basil.
food styling tips
Garnish with a small Thai basil leaf or a few flecks of edible gold leaf.